Do it this way It’s dangerously slippery now – Expert gives tips to make a frozen driveway safe again for walkers

Alarm clock didn’t even ring, so the rush to work is hard. You barely have time to brush your teeth when you already have to rumble out the door towards a pitch black morning.

Soon the truth strikes the face: the yard is right in the mirror. Thanks to it for the ever-changing winter weather.

Since the running steps are not heard today, it is necessary to sneak into the elevator. I wish the neighbor had sanded the yard, it comes to mind.

The yards of our homes are being tested in the ever-changing winter weather. In order for the passageways to be safe, they must be serviced regularly.

Is the housing association responsible for everything? And how to make your skull as risk-free as possible?

Hosting Association legal expert Jenni Valkama emphasizes that the Housing Company, as the owner or occupier of the property, always has a duty to take care of the security of the property.

Even if the tasks are contractually assigned to a separate maintenance company, this does not relieve the housing association of its liability.

If the housing company hires a maintenance company to carry out the winter maintenance, it must record every detail in the contract.

“In other words, the paper must show, for example, how often the snow and ice situation in the yard and roof is monitored. It is also an important detail what kind of measures will be taken after the findings and who will take them, ”Valkama sums up.

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Of course, even a slippery resident has his or her own responsibility.

For winter maintenance includes snow work, anti-slip, and monitoring and removal of snow and ice on roofs as needed.

If a condominium has neglected snow work or sanding and someone then happens to injure themselves, the company will become a payer.

According to Valkama, the most obvious lack of winter maintenance is that the sanding has been forgotten.

Replaceable injuries include personal injuries such as medical expenses and loss of earnings as well as breakage of goods. Of course, even a slippery resident has his or her own responsibility, Valkama mentions.

If the injured party has contributed to the damage in one way or another, the liability may be reduced or eliminated.

“In that case, for example, the resident may have been heavily drunk, or perhaps he or she has had footwear that is completely unsuitable for the circumstances,” the legal expert describes.

Haven says he has encountered a few misunderstandings regarding winter maintenance.

One ingrained misconception is, at the very least, that residents of a housing association could be required to do snow work and the like in the name of community service.

However, no one can be forced to collide – not even when the housing association has outlined the importance of volunteer work in its practices. If volunteer snow throwers are not available from residents, the work must be outsourced.

Misconceptions may also be associated with formal and informal routes.

“Even informal paths are the responsibility of the housing association. The owner of the property must therefore take care of the route, even if it has been formed by third parties, ”says Valkama.

Most Matinkylän Huolto Oy’s maintenance manager uses maintenance companies hired by housing companies Arto Pakkalan according to two traditional ways to ensure the safety of the yard: plowing and beating the snow and sanding by hand and machine.

In addition to ordinary sand, salt may also be sprinkled on the streets of the city as it effectively melts snow.

Recently, the question has arisen as to whether whether formate, a salt melting chemical, makes a bad impression on the paws of pets. There is currently no full clarity. According to Pakkala, salt can be deceptive, especially when combined with sharp stones that tear paws.

“It’s a bit of the same phenomenon as a person getting salt on their wounds. It doesn’t feel nice, ”he says.

Salt used especially on transport routes where the responsible companies take care of larger streets and other public areas. In other words, many condominiums do not salt their yards but settle for sanding.

According to Pakkala, there is no greater joy or benefit from salting in residential yards, which is why they have not found it necessary to use salt either.

“However, we have also been asked to use less sharp-edged sand to prevent dogs from hurting,” says Pakkala.

“However, we cannot do this because the rounded sand does not provide very good protection against slipping. I would say that if you want to protect your dog’s paws, it’s a good idea to think about getting slippers. ”

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The ground should not be sanded until the snow has stopped.

Everything there is no condominium to handle yard work. If snow work and sanding are part of your everyday life, Pakkala has a few tips on her sleeve.

First, he encourages the residents of the detached house to weigh the salting of their yard properly.

“I would see that it is not necessary to go salting in my own yard unless it is a very exceptional situation,” he says.

Salting may be considered, for example, if a persistent layer of ice has formed in the yard. Equally, a combination of plus-degree days and frostbite nights can be a reason to salt part of the yard.

Instead of salting the entire yard, Pakkala advises using salt on individual, steep areas or stairs.

Kolaamis In particular, Pakkala recommends that the corridors to be collapsed be made sufficiently wide.

Second, he advises piling up the kinos as early as possible. This will also leave the county in the snow for the coming weeks and months. Sanding sand should be reserved for the yard in advance.

Sometimes snow drifts into the pipe for long periods of time. The ground should not be sanded until the snow has stopped.

“Otherwise, you have to do unnecessary work. With the grazing, the sanded ground becomes sandless again, and the rumba starts from the beginning. The use of common sense is also allowed here. ”

Although the housing association would be responsible for the safety of its own yard, Pakkala also encourages residents to be active.

It is advisable to notify the maintenance company or property manager of the icy danger – or, if necessary, to solve the problem yourself.

“There are sandboxes in the yard of every housing association, which are also used by the residents. Sanding one slippery step does not take long, but it can significantly improve your own life and that of your neighbors, ”Pakkala sums up.