Big worry. Where is it all going to go when the big slush comes in
April or May? Tons and tons of salt is going to hit the road drains and
sewers at once. Is this an issue?

Personally I don't use salt on my paths, I sprickly Agricultural Grit
on top of the snow which seems to turn it grippy even when frozen. But
friends do, and Salting fields used to be a weapon of war.

R.

On Jan 9, 9:46 am, TheOldFellow wrote:
Big worry. Where is it all going to go when the big slush comes in
April or May?

the sea

Tons and tons of salt is going to hit the road drains and
sewers at once. Is this an issue?

dissolved in billions of gallons of water? nah not been a prob in my
memory....

Personally I don't use salt on my paths, I sprickly Agricultural Grit
on top of the snow which seems to turn it grippy even when frozen.

european ski resorts sprinkle gravel on roads without attempting to
melt it at all - presumably at the end of winter they can shovel it
all up again and recycle??

JimK

On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 02:15:24 -0800 (PST), JimK
wrote:

On Jan 9, 9:46 am, TheOldFellow wrote:
Big worry. Where is it all going to go when the big slush comes in
April or May?

the sea

Tons and tons of salt is going to hit the road drains and
sewers at once. Is this an issue?

dissolved in billions of gallons of water? nah not been a prob in my
memory....

Guy from either SEPA or the EA was on TV recently and asked this same
question and that was his answer ...diluted so much it will do no harm

On 9 Jan, 10:51, Usenet Nutter
wrote:
On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 02:15:24 -0800 (PST), JimK

wrote:
On Jan 9, 9:46 am, TheOldFellow wrote:
Big worry. *Where is it all going to go when the big slush comes in
April or May?

the sea

Tons and tons of salt is going to hit the road drains and
sewers at once. *Is this an issue?

dissolved in billions of gallons of water? nah not been a prob in my
memory....

Guy from either SEPA or the EA was on TV recently and asked this same
question and that was his answer ...diluted so much it will do no harm

The RAF put tons of Urea on the North Yorkshire runways instead of
salt. Apparently it doesn't attack their aicraft in the same way as
salt does.
Mind you the run-off ends up down river at York where it upsets the
local water company as it causes the coating inside old lead pipes to
come away and expose lead to the drinking water

On 09/01/2010 12:04, cynic wrote:
On 9 Jan, 10:51, Usenet Nutter
wrote:
On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 02:15:24 -0800 (PST), JimK

wrote:
On Jan 9, 9:46 am, wrote:
Big worry. Where is it all going to go when the big slush comes in
April or May?

the sea

Tons and tons of salt is going to hit the road drains and
sewers at once. Is this an issue?

dissolved in billions of gallons of water? nah not been a prob in my
memory....

Guy from either SEPA or the EA was on TV recently and asked this same
question and that was his answer ...diluted so much it will do no harm

The RAF put tons of Urea on the North Yorkshire runways instead of
salt. Apparently it doesn't attack their aicraft in the same way as
salt does.
Mind you the run-off ends up down river at York where it upsets the
local water company as it causes the coating inside old lead pipes to
come away and expose lead to the drinking water

When I was stationed at RAF Kinloss we had a couple of Nimrod Gas
Turbine engines fixed to a fuel bowser, and an engineer (sooty) sat in
between the 2 engines controlling the throttles as the bowser drivers
drove around the runway/pan blowing at melting the snow/ice away.

Worked a treat, and runway was never closed with this approach. don't
see these things around any more.

--
Regards
Camdor.

On Jan 9, 12:13*pm, Camdor wrote:

Turbine engines fixed to a fuel bowser, and an engineer (sooty) sat in
between the 2 engines controlling the throttles as the bowser drivers
Did he end up with a posthumus Darwin award?

Worked a treat, and runway was never closed with this approach. don't
see these things around any more.
In this day and age Health and Safety would never allow something like
that to be done. Think of the furore if Sooty was cremated due to a
fuel leak. Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

I have a weed burner torch connected to a bbq gas bottle. Works ok on
packed ice but don't use it now as the neighbours will think I'm even
more of a nutter. Just clear the snow as it drops and sprinkle rock
salt down.

Talking of rock salt spreading, I had a real gripe watching a news
item yesterday. A group of council workers were shovelling salt onto
paths like they were laying a gravel drive! I was told the most
effective way to put salt down is to lay it thinly as it doesn't need
much salt to take an effect. The only way you can achieve that is to
grab some salt and throw it like you are sowing seeds. If you follow
a gritting lorry you can barely see the salt on the road.


Dave.

Dave Starling
wibbled on Saturday 09 January 2010 12:54

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

The only way to live is to ignore media inspired nonsense like this. I've
cleared mine and a 2mx3m section of the highway (so any poor sod sliding
down our road might be able to stop at the end before sliding out of the
junction). Got plenty of happy waves from car drivers. Don't expect to be
sued...

I have a weed burner torch connected to a bbq gas bottle. Works ok on
packed ice but don't use it now as the neighbours will think I'm even
more of a nutter.

I like that approach

Just clear the snow as it drops and sprinkle rock
salt down.

Talking of rock salt spreading, I had a real gripe watching a news
item yesterday. A group of council workers were shovelling salt onto
paths like they were laying a gravel drive! I was told the most
effective way to put salt down is to lay it thinly as it doesn't need
much salt to take an effect. The only way you can achieve that is to
grab some salt and throw it like you are sowing seeds. If you follow
a gritting lorry you can barely see the salt on the road.

Indeed. I threw ash down on the pavement and my drive, but for the road,
being concerned that some ash (wood anyway, not sure about coal) can be
corrosive to modern (read useless water based) car paints, I lobbed a bit of
sand down followed by the only salt I had - about 1/3kg of table salt. It
was a pathetic amount, but it worked.

It is however blowing a blizzard outside so I'll have to go and do it
again...

--
Tim Watts

You know you need more insulation when the snow blanket on the roof makes
the house 3 degrees warmer...

"Dave Starling" wrote in message
...

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

That's ********.

It's popular ********, but ******** nonetheless.

If you do something like clear it with a burner, but leave it wet so it
freezes and hence more dangerous, you might be liable, but if you're
reasonable about it you'll be fine.

On 09/01/2010 13:15, Tim W wrote:
Dave
wibbled on Saturday 09 January 2010 12:54

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

The only way to live is to ignore media inspired nonsense like this. I've
cleared mine and a 2mx3m section of the highway (so any poor sod sliding
down our road might be able to stop at the end before sliding out of the
junction). Got plenty of happy waves from car drivers. Don't expect to be
sued...

I have a weed burner torch connected to a bbq gas bottle. Works ok on
packed ice but don't use it now as the neighbours will think I'm even
more of a nutter.

I like that approach

Just clear the snow as it drops and sprinkle rock
salt down.

Talking of rock salt spreading, I had a real gripe watching a news
item yesterday. A group of council workers were shovelling salt onto
paths like they were laying a gravel drive! I was told the most
effective way to put salt down is to lay it thinly as it doesn't need
much salt to take an effect. The only way you can achieve that is to
grab some salt and throw it like you are sowing seeds. If you follow
a gritting lorry you can barely see the salt on the road.

Indeed. I threw ash down on the pavement and my drive, but for the road,
being concerned that some ash (wood anyway, not sure about coal) can be
corrosive to modern (read useless water based) car paints, I lobbed a bit of
sand down followed by the only salt I had - about 1/3kg of table salt. It
was a pathetic amount, but it worked.

It is however blowing a blizzard outside so I'll have to go and do it
again...

When I started in insurance nearly 40 years ago we explained the need
for personal liability insurance by saying you might accidentally pole
someone's eye out with an umbrella. They still haven't banned them.
You only have to act reasonably. Personal liability and occupiers
liability are both usually included with contents insurance.
My wife is a health and safety professional with a county council. We
have done our best to clear the pavement outside and a path to our front
door. In Germany you have to - by law!

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Clive George"
saying something like:

"Dave Starling" wrote in message
...

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

That's ********.

It's popular ********, but ******** nonetheless.

If you do something like clear it with a burner, but leave it wet so it
freezes and hence more dangerous, you might be liable, but if you're
reasonable about it you'll be fine.

Exactly. Best efforts and all that. It certainly doesn't remove the onus
on the pedestrian to be careful where they put their feet.

In message , Camdor
wrote

Worked a treat, and runway was never closed with this approach. don't
see these things around any more.


Santapod Raceway, Northampton, (Poddington WWII airfield runway) has a
large jet engine on a trailer for drying the track. Cars with slick
tyres don't accelerate to 300+ mph in the wet

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 09/01/2010 14:55, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Clive George"
saying something like:

"Dave wrote in message
...

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

That's ********.

It's popular ********, but ******** nonetheless.

If you do something like clear it with a burner, but leave it wet so it
freezes and hence more dangerous, you might be liable, but if you're
reasonable about it you'll be fine.

Exactly. Best efforts and all that. It certainly doesn't remove the onus
on the pedestrian to be careful where they put their feet.

Just bumped into this on the BBC website re snow clearance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8443745.stm

On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:13:05 +0000, Camdor wrote:
When I was stationed at RAF Kinloss we had a couple of Nimrod Gas
Turbine engines fixed to a fuel bowser, and an engineer (sooty) sat in
between the 2 engines controlling the throttles as the bowser drivers
drove around the runway/pan blowing at melting the snow/ice away.

Worked a treat, and runway was never closed with this approach. don't
see these things around any more.

I was trying to find a video of one in action the other day (suitable
response to someone saying they were using a leaf-blower to try and move
snow) but came up empty. Various photos of the kit itself around, but none
of them actually running :-(

On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:55:02 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:


Exactly. Best efforts and all that. It certainly doesn't remove the onus
on the pedestrian to be careful where they put their feet.

Risk assessments and all that... :-)

--
Frank Erskine

On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:55:02 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Clive George"
saying something like:

"Dave Starling" wrote in message
...

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

That's ********.

It's popular ********, but ******** nonetheless.

If you do something like clear it with a burner, but leave it wet so it
freezes and hence more dangerous, you might be liable, but if you're
reasonable about it you'll be fine.

Exactly. Best efforts and all that. It certainly doesn't remove the onus
on the pedestrian to be careful where they put their feet.

As it happens on Christmas Eve, we didn't clear our drive, but the
neighbour opposite did (dug and brushed). When I went round that evening
delivering cards locally, I had to knock on their door and warn them that
if they stepped outside they'd be better walking on the uncleared bit as
the cleared section was lethal.

SteveW

In article , Alan
scribeth thus
In message , Camdor
wrote

Worked a treat, and runway was never closed with this approach. don't
see these things around any more.


Santapod Raceway, Northampton, (Poddington WWII airfield runway) has a
large jet engine on a trailer for drying the track. Cars with slick
tyres don't accelerate to 300+ mph in the wet



They tried one on the railways once but the trouble was not only did it
get rid of the snow rather quickly it took most of the track ballast
with it!..

Such was the blast from the engine;!..
--
Tony Sayer

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Frank Erskine
saying something like:

Exactly. Best efforts and all that. It certainly doesn't remove the onus
on the pedestrian to be careful where they put their feet.

Risk assessments and all that... :-)

With any luck by the time I've filled out the thirty page form the thaw
will have happened.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Steve Walker
saying something like:

As it happens on Christmas Eve, we didn't clear our drive, but the
neighbour opposite did (dug and brushed). When I went round that evening
delivering cards locally, I had to knock on their door and warn them that
if they stepped outside they'd be better walking on the uncleared bit as
the cleared section was lethal.

Ah, but there's a second action needed - to periodically sprinkle salt,
ashes, etc to keep it non-slippy. I've been doing just that at my place
and one sprinkling of salt on a cleared section keeps it clear for a
couple of days - not of course, any good under a fresh fall of snow, but
it's all a matter of a bit of common.
I got quite sensitised to this when I went arseovertit at the top of a
small stairway (mine) on Boxing Day - bruised a few ribs and felt it for
more than a week.

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 02:12:24 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Steve Walker
saying something like:

As it happens on Christmas Eve, we didn't clear our drive, but the
neighbour opposite did (dug and brushed). When I went round that evening
delivering cards locally, I had to knock on their door and warn them that
if they stepped outside they'd be better walking on the uncleared bit as
the cleared section was lethal.

Ah, but there's a second action needed - to periodically sprinkle salt,
ashes, etc to keep it non-slippy. I've been doing just that at my place
and one sprinkling of salt on a cleared section keeps it clear for a
couple of days - not of course, any good under a fresh fall of snow, but
it's all a matter of a bit of common.
I got quite sensitised to this when I went arseovertit at the top of a
small stairway (mine) on Boxing Day - bruised a few ribs and felt it for
more than a week.

The trouble was it went like that within a couple of hours. I know he
sprinkled salt when he cleared it, so was very surprised when it iced so
quickly, qlthough it was mighty cold. Ash would be good, but who has it in
suburban areas these days?

SteveW

In article ,
"Clive George" writes:
"Dave Starling" wrote in message
...

Apparantly you can't even clear the snow on the path in
front of your house without the risk of being sued if someone slips.

That's ********.

It's popular ********, but ******** nonetheless.

If you do something like clear it with a burner, but leave it wet so it
freezes and hence more dangerous, you might be liable, but if you're
reasonable about it you'll be fine.

Pretty much what a lawyer just said on Radio 4, so I went out and
cleared the pavement.

The company lawyer at a previous job advised that an employer or
a business dealing with the public would be far more likely to be
sued for doing nothing to clear ice/snow, as that would count as
negligence.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]