What is precautionary gritting?
Precautionary gritting means spreading salt before ice forms, not after someone has slipped. When the forecast for your site shows air or surface temperatures falling to your agreed trigger, usually +1°C, your site is added to that night's route and treated in the early hours.
Salt lowers the freezing point of moisture on the surface, so a treatment laid down overnight keeps car parks, roads and paths usable through the morning rush. Treating early takes far less salt than trying to break up ice that has already formed.
What we treat
- Customer and staff car parks
- Internal estate roads and access routes
- Service yards, loading bays and gatehouses
- Footpaths, steps, ramps and entrances
- Fire exits and emergency routes
- Disabled bays, drop-off zones and trolley bays
Why businesses choose a contract
Occupiers owe a duty of care to the people who visit and work on their premises. A documented gritting plan, with time-stamped evidence of each treatment, is one of the clearest ways to show you took reasonable steps in winter. It also keeps you open, because staff and customers can get in safely on the coldest mornings.
Commercial Gritting near you
We provide commercial gritting for businesses in every county of Northern Ireland, including:
Frequently asked questions
How do you decide when to grit?
We check site-specific forecasts every afternoon and again through the night. If the air or surface temperature at your site is forecast to reach your trigger, the site is treated, usually between 2am and 6am.
What salt do you use?
Brown or white rock salt, chosen for each surface. Near shop fronts, sensitive paving and planting we can use lower-residue blends.
Do I get proof that my site was gritted?
Yes. Every visit is logged with GPS and time-stamped photos and emailed to you the same morning.