In previous years there has been some issues in ensuring that rock salt levels in council grit bins are kept as fully stocked as possible.
Each council will have in place a system for replenishing and to ensure that each of their grit bins are kept as fully stocked as possible on a regular basis, with a rota being based mainly on weather forecasts and priority given to grit bins positioned on hills and in busy areas.
During the winter of 2010/11, the one that was referred to as the “big freeze”, with severe snow falls and record low temperatures right across the UK, many grit bins were depleted of stock levels due to the demand caused by the weather. Also grit lorries struggled to gain access to the bins positioned on side streets due to them being blocked by snow and ice. That year, every council in the country reported a severe shortage of rock salt stocks.
Councils do experience great difficulty in trying to ensure grit bins are adequately stocked, with many of the procedures in place being inadequate.
So how would councils can best manage rock salt levels in their grit bins to ensure stocks are kept at the maximum optimum level? With the constant advancement in technology maybe it’s a little surprising that there are currently no computer-controlled monitoring systems in place for measuring the stock levels in each grit bin and subsequently ensuring the relevant body is notified of when stocks require replenishing.
At the forefront of making advancements in improving the system of grit bin replenishment is Surrey County Council which introduced a system of fitting bar codes to the whole of their stock of 1,741 grit bins. For further information please click here.
In the future, better systems need to be introduced to ensure rock salt stocks are replenished as and when required, taking the guess work out of the procedure for councils,saving money and ,even more importantly, ensuring that council grit bins have sufficient levels of rock salt, providing the public with a readily available supply and subsequently providing the means for a safer environment.
To view the largest range of Grit Bins for councils available on the internet click here.
