Application Rates: Cleaning Up After the Storm

Once the storm has passed and the pavement is clear, clean up. Where possible, sweep up any leftover salt or small piles of salt and reuse it for the next event. Push brooms and scoop shovels can be used at entries, or for small clean ups on sidewalks. Use mechanical brooms for sidewalks and sweepers for parking lots and drives. This prevents unused salt from being carried into nearby soil, vegetation, or water where it can cause harm. Sweep up sand or other abrasives too and save it for future use. When the pavement is clear, sand no longer provides traction and leaving it behind can create its own environmental and slip & fall concerns as well as tracking into buildings. Sweepings from street sweepers used for cleaning parking lots and drives should be screened before reusing. There may be regulations on use or disposal of street sweepings in your area. 

Practice good housekeeping with salt storage areas.  Sweep up any salt that has spilled and put it back in the container or into the covered storage area. Make sure your contractors are cleaning up any salt that is not contained within the storage areas or containers.  Some contractors use shipping containers to store salt, or jersey barriers with a tarp.  These work fairly well to contain the salt but during plowing and salting events, salt is often moved outside of the container or storage area and should be cleaned up. Covers should be secured well. 

Liquids should be stored in double-walled tanks or with secondary protection. Some states may have labeling and spill reporting requirements. Keep a spill kit handy.