Winter Maintenance Resources

Posters

Display in employee areas to promote winter safety. Two designs available.

Request printed copies or download PDF file to print.

• Winterize your feet poster 1 PDF print file
• Winterize your feet poster 2 PDF print file

Window decals

Display at entrances to promote winter safety. Complete online form to request your decals.

Description:

• Vinyl window cling, printed on one side
• Self-sticks to glass, removable at end of season
• 5 inches x 7.5 inches
• Available in four layouts

How to apply:

• Clean and dry area on glass window where you will affix decal
• Peel off paper back
• Apply to window. Window cling is one sided but should stick to window from printed or non-printed side.
• Use a smooth edge such as a credit card to smooth out any air bubbles. Start in centre and slowly move out towards the edge.

Salt training

Smart About Salt Council offers training for contractors and property owners.

• Smart About Salt training overview
• Register for online essentials of salt management training

Record keeping

Post the Salt Record Keeping form by entrances to record salt used when icy and between contractor visits 

Create your own log sheet with the help of the sample activity logs below. Accurately measure winter maintenance activities and monitor the implementation of best practices. Tailor for your requirements.

• Sample record keeping form (Smart About Salt Council)
• Sample record keeping form (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

Calibrating equipment

Calibrating equipment provides guidance on how to verify salt spreader application rates in order to ensure operators of spreading equipment area able to apply salt at application rates that are appropriate for the condition and level of service being sought. By understanding and recording the amount of salt being applied, contractors can better estimate their annual operational costs, apply salt responsibly and offer evidence of due diligence when challenged.

• Verification protocol for parking lot salt spreaders (PDF)
• Salt spreader verification worksheet (PDF)
• Salt calibration calculations (XLS)

*Credit to Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program

Contracts

If you contract out your winter maintenance, make sure your contract reflects your expectations. This should include:

• Salt management training for everyone doing the work
• Access to maintenance records so you know the work is done according to your contract
• Specifying that salt is charged by unit price per event or lump sum per season to ensure a practical and economic use of salt

• Standard snow and ice maintenance contract form (Landscape Ontario)
• Procurement of winter maintenance services training (Smart About Salt Council)

Additional resources

• The side with the best records often wins a slip and fall lawsuit (Landscape Ontario)
• Legislative solutions to slip and fall liability (Landscape Ontario)

Free property review

Properties near municipal groundwater wells may need to follow a winter maintenance Risk Management Plan as a requirement of the Grand River Source Protection Plan, 2022 and Clean Water Act, 2006.

For a limited time, the Region of Waterloo is offering free property reviews to properties requiring a risk management plan. During the 60-minute consultation, a Region of Waterloo representative will walk the property with you to identify actions to reduce salt use while maintaining winter safety.

Complete this form to find out if your business requires a risk management plan and qualifies for this free service.

If your property does not require a risk management plan, you will be directed to an alternate planning worksheet you can use to design your winter maintenance plan.

Planning worksheet

Our winter maintenance planning worksheet can help identify areas to consider as part of your winter maintenance plan. Your winter maintenance plan should include:

• Salt training for your team and hired contractor’s staff
• Contracting salt by unit price per event or lump sum per season 
• A plan to maintain good records in case of a slip and fall claim 
• Walking your property to understand where ice forms, and how to prevent it
• Identifying where to store plowed snow that keeps ice from forming across your parking lot due to melt and freeze weather
• A plan to deal with ice when it is too cold for salt to work (around -10°C)

Watch our Winter Maintenance for Commercial Properties webinar for more ideas.

Reminder sticker for salt storage containers

Attach to salt storage containers as a reminder about responsible salt use. Complete online form to request your stickers.

Description:

• Peel off back sticker
• 8 inches x 6 inches

How to apply:

• Before applying sticker: Clean and thoroughly dry surface
• Peel off back and apply to salt storage bin lid or salt bucket

Sign to display at areas not receiving winter maintenance

Display the Area Closed sign at locations not receiving winter maintenance. Close off unneeded areas that do not block emergency exits, accessibility ramps or entrances. Read the information sheet to learn more.

Complete online form to request your Area Closed signs.

Examples of areas to close in the winter:

• Overflow parking
• Seasonal patios
• Extra walkways and stairways

Benefits of closing areas may include:

• Allows winter maintenance team to focus efforts on high traffic areas
• Reduce winter maintenance costs and repairs from salt damage
• Manage risk from potential slip and fall hazards
• Reduce winter maintenance costs from plowing and salting
• Offers location to store plowed snow

Sign specifications:

• Size: 30 cm wide x 45 cm high (12 inches wide x 18 inches high)
• Material: aluminum steel
• Weight: 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs.)
• Display options: hang from chains, mount on post or attach to fence (property owner responsible for hardware to display sign)

Additional resources

• Webinar (27:39m): managing your slip and fall risk and cost saving tips (Oct. 19, 2023)
• Infographic: preparing your property for winter (Region of Waterloo)
• Best practices deliver big results (Landscape Trades magazine - snow & ice issue)
• Manual of best management practices for road salt in winter maintenance (Clear Roads)
• Good practices for winter maintenance in salt vulnerable areas (Conservation Ontario and Ontario Good Roads Association)
• Procurement guidance for parking lot snow and ice management (Toronto and Region Conservation Authority)
• Salt application best practices for winter maintenance contracts (Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program)
• Parking lot design guidelines (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority)
• Alternates to salt (Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program)
• Sand versus salt (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority)