Icy Footpaths

murpho999

Just been out walking in Bray area and it really difficullt as all the footpaths are iced up and they really are very dangerous.

Lived in Holland for a few years and there it is law that all householders and businesses must clear ice/snow from footpaths in front of their premises.

Surely that should be brought in here too?

sideswipe

Yeah, when the politicians come back form their holidays in the spring time I'll have a word :rolleyes:

Good idea in theory but we already have a million laws in this country that get ignored, the problem is enforcement.

galah

no enforcement needed - you're liable for the footpath in front of your house. If someone slips and falls because you neglected you duty, they can sue you. Should be encouragement enough. Provided you get gritting material...

(it's the same in Germany, and it works).

Nate--IRL--

I think here if you clear the path you are then liable for it's condition (and could get sued?) If you do nothing, it's an SEP (Somebody Else's Problem).

Nate

hellboy99

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

I think here if you clear the path you are then liable for it's condition (and could get sued?) If you do nothing, it's an SEP (Somebody Else's Problem).

Nate

I was told the same yesterday by a friend of mine that went looking for grit, he was told that he would be liable for it's condition if he gritted out the front of his house.

murpho999

Well I wasn''t talking about gritting but going out and clearing it with a shovel, that's what I had to do when I lived in Holland!

Stark

murpho999 wrote: »

Just been out walking in Bray area and it really difficullt as all the footpaths are iced up and they really are very dangerous.

Lived in Holland for a few years and there it is law that all householders and businesses must clear ice/snow from footpaths in front of their premises.

Surely that should be brought in here too?

What happens if you're away on holidays when it's snowing? Can people use that as a defence if someone tries to sue them?

dloob

Stark wrote: »

What happens if you're away on holidays when it's snowing? Can people use that as a defence if someone tries to sue them?

There is a bit about it in denmark at the end of this article from the irish times.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2010/0106/1224261724768.html?via=mr

Over there being on Holiday is no defense and you have to organise cover if you are away.

eigrod

Stark wrote: »

What happens if you're away on holidays when it's snowing? Can people use that as a defence if someone tries to sue them?

or if your aged 80+ and/or have a physical disability. Are such people exempt in Holland ?

Anyway, if it were law here, the ambulance chasers would have a field day.

gerbilgranny

murpho999 wrote: »

Just been out walking in Bray area and it really difficullt as all the footpaths are iced up and they really are very dangerous.

Lived in Holland for a few years and there it is law that all householders and businesses must clear ice/snow from footpaths in front of their premises.

Surely that should be brought in here too?

As a teenager in the 1970's, I lived in Seacrest, an estate in Bray on a very steep hill.

Back then, if someone hadn't cleared the path in front of their garden, they'd be considered negligent and/or anti-social.

I've been quite surprised at the lack of ANYTHING outside premises in this past week. Even if there's a shortage of grit/salt, they are measures that can be taken. A bit of elbow grease, or throwing down cinders/pine needles/anything!

Where I work in Dublin City, the steps outside my building are treacherous. I thought some action was at last being taken today, when we all got an e-mail about them...but all it said was 'be careful on the steps, they are very slippy....use the handrail'.

metrovelvet

When we ran out if salt we used ash from the fire. It really is incredible that storefront proprietors have done NOTHING.

Nate--IRL--

They can't get sued if they do nothing. If they do grit/salt then they could get sued. Insane isn't it?

Nate

Star Bingo

i don't think the footpaths are as bad as say, christmas night. when there ironically appears to be nothing at all bar some 'wet' looking sections - actually just very glassy ice, lethal. don't really care for the anomnities in cars, long as they don't slide into any pedestrians! theres no doubt the roads are more dangerous than the footpaths at the moment, almost serene :cool:

TomTom

It's nuts that you can be sued for trying to help out. There were plent of stores clearing paths in dublin today and fair play to them.

TomTom

I went walking on the footpaths in dublic city last night and this morning, were fairly bad. I fell and slid off the path outside the national library.

Star Bingo

i slid twice, as drimnagh's on an incline. ok decline but christmas night i fell 3 times on what appeared to be nothing whilst the roads got off scott free. hated it

would've to have brought a friggin level meter for even the slightest irregularity it was that dangerous

murpho999

Stark wrote: »

What happens if you're away on holidays when it's snowing? Can people use that as a defence if someone tries to sue them?

No, you must ensure that it is done for you.

boomer_ie

I had to go down the main street in bray today as well and ended up walking in the road instead of the footpath as the paths were so lethal!

Squeaksoutloud

Remember watching Bear Grylls (Man Vs Wild on Discovery) before (could have been the one set in West of Ireland actually when he was crossing slimy rocks in a stream in Donegal!) where putting a pair of socks on over your shoes gives you great grip on slippy surfaces. Could be only option!

Traumadoc

Star Bingo wrote: »

i don't think the footpaths are as bad as say, christmas night. when there ironically appears to be nothing at all bar some 'wet' looking sections - actually just very glassy ice, lethal. don't really care for the anomnities in cars, long as they don't slide into any pedestrians! theres no doubt the roads are more dangerous than the footpaths at the moment, almost serene :cool:

8-10,000 accident and emergency attendances, following falls in the last two weeks, thousands of fractures.
Ironically very few RTAs , people are crashing cars but because they are going so slow, there are no serious injuries.

Star Bingo

damienkeane wrote: »

Remember watching Bear Grylls (Man Vs Wild on Discovery) before (could have been the one set in West of Ireland actually when he was crossing slimy rocks in a stream in Donegal!) where putting a pair of socks on over your shoes gives you great grip on slippy surfaces. Could be only option!

watched a whole day of him just last wk, always turning it on for the camera that 'bear'. but there ya see it he does that stuff.. -shouldn't his buddy who follows him only w/ a camera in tow get more credit than just what does roll @ the end?

but yep, socks outside shoes may well be the eh.. way forward.

NIBBS

Star Bingo wrote: »

i don't think the footpaths are as bad as say, christmas night. when there ironically appears to be nothing at all bar some 'wet' looking sections - actually just very glassy ice, lethal. don't really care for the anomnities in cars, long as they don't slide into any pedestrians! theres no doubt the roads are more dangerous than the footpaths at the moment, almost serene :cool:

I don't drive, and there are loads of morons driving badly out there, but they are far outnumbered by the morons crossing the roads - last night was just tools walking out infront of moving cars that can't stop easily.....seriously its not rocket science - and crossing 20yards from the lights in conditions like that is pretty thick too....

TomTom, footpaths were pretty leathal in town yesterday, but it was the roads that were the worst. just sliding across some of them......no fun...

a lot of people live in estates controlled by management companies now, so the path at the from of their property isn't owned by them its the responsibility of the management company to sort it out....and they are all doing nothing from what I've seen and heard.....

ayumi

this maybe stupid but couldnt they use hot water to melt the snow on roads,less expensive and the water from the snow and ice goes to sewers ,no floods jsut clear footpaths and roads

Stark

The water that doesn't drain off will re-freeze and turn to sheet ice making everything twice as lethal. Think what happens to an ice cube after you take it out of the freezer and pour some water on it.

ayumi

Stark wrote: »

The water that doesn't drain off will re-freeze and turn to sheet ice making everything twice as lethal. Think what happens to an ice cube after you take it out of the freezer and pour some water on it.

thanx for the explaintion but is there another cheaper thing to do to remove the ice?