Salt Bins Guidelines for their Use

Salt bins are plastic containers located on footway or verges which hold naturally occurring rock salt for use during the winter period. The bins are not locked and are easily accessible.

They are to be used by residents to spread salt onto the highway surfaces (normally footways) during severe winter conditions to prevent or treat the formation of ice and snow.

During severe winter conditions the many of the carriageways will be treated by purpose built salting vehicles as part of the secondary route network and therefore whilst salt from salt bins can be used for carriageways there is less urgency to do so.

They are generally located in quieter roads in places where the footways are steep or where extreme problems are known to exist. The roads have not been included within the primary route network for footways. Details can be found within the Winter Maintenance Plan either at a local library, or alternatively, at the kingston.gov.uk website.

It is important to wear appropriate clothing to minimise the chance of accident or discomfort caused by the cold weather. A pair of strong shoes or boots with treads allowing good grip on surfaces is essential.
A pair of gloves with good grip is also recommended.
A garden spade or shovel and a small stick would be adequate for spreading the salt.
Try not to over load the spade. Hold the spade in one hand and the small stick in the other and use the stick to flick the salt onto the surface moving left and right to cover the area in an even layer. Do not over salt the surface – the salt does not need to be spread like sand. A volume the size of a bag of sugar is more than sufficient to treat ten paces of footway length. Be careful not to spread over the grass verges.
For areas away from the salt bin a wheelbarrow, if one is available, would be useful to transport some salt.

Ideally in advance of predicted extreme conditions. Keep abreast of the latest weather forecasts through broadcasts on the radio or television. It is difficult to remove ice once it has formed.
To be effective in snow conditions the snow needs to be cleared in advance by spades or brooms.

The salt bins are not locked and people need to be encouraged not to place litter into them or put graffiti onto the surfaces.
If any damage is caused to the salt bins, or they need refilling then please phone the Customer Contact Centre on 0208 547 5002
If you require any further advice then contact the Customer Contact Centre on 0208 547 5002