BLOG NUMBER 19.75
During the colder months of winter, workers frequently apply de-icing agents to roads, walkways, patios, stairs, and other outdoor surfaces Road salt is currently the most popular application for creating safe, slip-proof areas that people can comfortably walk or drive over. Many municipalities, business owners, and homeowners use road salt each year because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to acquire. They typically pair road salt with other snow and ice removal efforts, such as shoveling or plowing. After pushing or scooping away the majority of winter accumulations, they apply modest amounts of salt to speed up further thawing. This ensures that recently cleaned surfaces do not develop a slick, slippery coating even though they appear pristine.
Whether you own a home or business, snow and ice removal is crucial for meeting your duty of care. Without proper removal, property owners may be liable for slip and fall accidents or other injuries from icy surfaces. Understanding how long treatments work and how often to repeat them is important. If faced with a premises liability claim, a documented history of snow removal and salt applications can support your defense. In cases like these, even seemingly minor details can have a significant impact on settlement outcomes.
How Salt Works as a De-Icing Agent
Contrary to popular thought, salt doesn’t actually melt ice. Instead, the addition of salt lowers the freezing temperature of water. Ice, rain, snow, or sleet typically freeze at about 32 degrees Fahrenheit when left untreated. However, when you combine these substances with it, they won’t freeze until the temperature reaches 15 degrees Fahrenheit. In moderately cold areas, this makes salt applications pretty effective. Temperatures will have to drop quite low before post-treatment accumulations freeze. As a result, treated grounds tend to be covered in wet, slushy puddles, rather than being coated with slick, hazardous, icy coatings.
There are, however, other details that affect the efficacy of salt applications. Road salts alone aren’t effective for melting existing sheets of ice, especially in relatively low-traffic areas. These applications rely on the friction of tires to help activate them. When multiple cars drive over the treated area, ice works best on recently plowed roads.
4o However, on residential or commercial walkways and regular sidewalks, limited traffic reduces friction. As a result, the surfaces remain salty and icy, offering only slight improvements in traction. This is why people are often advised to lay salt down before snow and ice accumulations have actually formed.
Given the significant concern that widespread salt applications pose to the natural environment, experts advise consumers to use road salt sparingly and wisely. Treat low-traffic areas before snowfall or freezing. If you don’t, thoroughly scrape them clean with shovels or other snow removal tools, apply treatment, and close them off until de-icing is complete. Moreover, as little as 12 ounces of salt is sufficient for treating a 20 foot long driveway or an equivalent section of sidewalk.
If you have diligently cleared your property of ice and snow and applied salt strategically, you have likely fulfilled your duty of care. In any premises liability case, consider factors like snowfall timing, snow removal and salting schedules, and weather changes before the claimant’s slip and fall incident.
The salt does not guarantee melting for any specific span of time after it is applied. Applying salt to roadways and other cold surfaces requires friction or extra time for melting. Property owners can protect themselves by using safety signage, roping off hazardous areas, or implementing additional melting strategies. If you’re facing a snow or ice-related premises liability case, we can help. Call us today at (816) 564-9131.
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