Every winter, the same question catches businesses out: whose job is it to grit the car park, the footpaths and the access road? Get the answer wrong and a single slip on untreated ice can lead to an injury claim, an insurance headache and real reputational damage. The good news is that the responsibilities are clear once you understand them.
Here’s what businesses need to know about road gritting responsibilities in the UK, and how to stay on the right side of the law.
Who is responsible for gritting?
Businesses are responsible for gritting and clearing their own premises, including car parks, footpaths, forecourts and private access roads, while local authorities are responsible for gritting public roads and pavements. Councils treat designated priority routes under the Highways Act 1980, but they do not grit every road, and they are not responsible for private land.
In short, if the land is yours or you occupy it, keeping it reasonably safe from ice and snow is your responsibility.
The legal duties businesses have
Several pieces of legislation combine to place a clear duty on businesses to manage winter slip hazards on their premises.
The Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 requires occupiers of premises to take reasonable care to ensure that lawful visitors, including customers, employees, contractors and delivery drivers, are reasonably safe. Untreated ice on a route people are expected to use falls squarely within this.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by their business, so far as is reasonably practicable. Slips on ice in a car park or walkway are exactly the kind of foreseeable risk this covers.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 add further detail, with Regulation 12 requiring that floors and traffic routes are kept safe and, so far as reasonably practicable, free from anything likely to cause a slip, trip or fall. This extends to outdoor routes such as paths and car parks.
Taken together, these duties mean gritting your commercial premises is not an optional extra but a legal responsibility.
What "reasonable steps" actually means
An important point often misunderstood is that the law does not require you to guarantee that no one ever slips. It requires you to take reasonable steps and, crucially, to be able to demonstrate that you did. That means having a systematic, planned approach to winter maintenance rather than reacting on the day.
In practice, “reasonable” is judged against what a sensible business would do given the conditions: monitoring forecasts, treating surfaces before ice forms, and prioritising the areas people actually use.
Why keeping records matters
If an incident ever leads to a claim, your best defence is evidence that you took your duty seriously. Keeping a gritting log, recording when and where treatment was carried out and the conditions at the time, provides exactly that. A clear, dated record showing a proactive, consistent approach is far more persuasive than a verbal assurance that the car park “is usually gritted”. Many insurers now expect a winter maintenance plan as a condition of cover, and good records support any claim you might need to make yourself.
Does clearing snow make you liable?
A common myth holds that clearing snow and ice makes you responsible if someone later slips. In reality, the opposite is closer to the truth. Government guidance, often referred to as the snow code, makes clear that it is very unlikely you would be liable simply for clearing snow, and that it is far better to clear it than to leave a known hazard untreated. Doing nothing is the greater risk, not doing something.
What businesses should do
Meeting your responsibilities is straightforward with a little planning. Carry out a winter risk assessment to identify the high-risk areas on your site, such as slopes, shaded spots and busy pedestrian routes. Put a gritting and snow-clearance plan in place before winter arrives, monitor the weather so you can treat surfaces proactively, and keep records of the work carried out. Where areas are shared with neighbouring businesses, agree clearly who is responsible for what.
For many businesses, the simplest and most reliable way to meet these obligations is to appoint a professional contractor, who can provide a risk assessment, forecast-led gritting, and the documentation that demonstrates compliance.
How Millstream can help
At Millstream, we provide professional road gritting and winter maintenance for commercial clients across Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, helping businesses keep their premises safe and meet their duty of care. As an award-winning grounds, building and winter maintenance contractor, we offer forecast-led gritting, snow clearance and proper records of every visit. For a wider view of preparing your site, see our winter maintenance checklist, or get in touch to arrange cover for the season.
FAQs
Are businesses legally required to grit their premises?
Businesses are not required to guarantee that no one ever slips, but they do have a legal duty under the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 and health and safety law to take reasonable steps to keep their premises safe. In practice this means proactively gritting car parks, paths and access routes and being able to show you did.
Who is responsible for gritting car parks?
The business or landowner is responsible for gritting private car parks, as these are part of the premises they occupy. This falls under their duty of care to visitors and employees, so untreated ice in a car park could lead to liability if someone is injured.
Does the council grit all roads?
No. Local authorities have a duty to treat designated priority routes under the Highways Act 1980, but they do not grit every road. Many minor and residential roads are not gritted, and councils are not responsible for private land such as business car parks and access roads.
Should businesses keep a record of gritting?
Yes. Keeping a dated gritting log of when and where treatment was carried out, along with the conditions, is strongly recommended. It demonstrates that reasonable steps were taken and is an important defence if an accident ever leads to a claim.
Can clearing snow make you liable if someone slips?
It is very unlikely. Government guidance makes clear that clearing snow and ice responsibly is very unlikely to make you liable, and that it is far better to treat a known hazard than to leave it. Doing nothing carries more risk than taking sensible action.