Ice Melt Dos and Don’ts

Slip-and-fall injuries aren’t just dangerous: they can be expensive too. The average cost of a slip injury can rise to more than $12,000, but the best way to reduce their likelihood and protect both your customers and your business is to use ice melt. With our affordable options available in our online catalog, a small investment can have a big payoff when it comes to your safety and your bottom line.

Before you toss that ice melt around your parking lots and walkways, consider these dos and don’ts:

Do Read the Instructions

Always reference your ice melt packaging for safety information and instructions. For example, if your formula is made with magnesium or calcium chloride products, wearing protective gloves is a must. Always wear boots, overshoes or ice cleats when working on icy or snowy surfaces, and remove them before re-entering your facility.

Do Use Ice Melt at the Right Time

The best time to apply ice melt is just before precipitation freezes or as soon as you finish clearing snow. After ice melt has turned precipitation into slush, remove it to reduce concrete damage and re-freezing. Never dump the slushy mixture down drains, onto landscaping or near bodies of water.

Do Use the Right Kind of Ice Melt

There are many different types of ice melt available today, and each has its own special properties. Below you’ll find two of our favorites from Ossian.

Ossian Wintergreen Liquid Ice Melter
We love this product because it tracks less than dry material, helping you avoid costly cleanups of entryways throughout the winter months. It’s also easy on your wallet and vegetation, makes heavy snows easier to remove and can melt light snows on contact. Click here to order online.

Ossian Triple Melt Ice Melters
For the best in melting speed, choose Ossian. This product’s unique Activar process results in faster melting action and a safer surface in less time. When you need to get to a safe surface fast, Triple Melt can do the job and save you money along the way with its sub-zero melting power and safer use on vegetation and concrete. Click here to order online!

Don’t Apply Too Much Ice Melt

When it comes to ice melt, less is more! Applying too much won’t speed up the thawing process and can cause environmental damage while also resulting in more debris being tracked inside your building.

Your application instructions will let you know the proper amount to use, but in general, we recommend using about 1/2 cup of ice melt for every square yard of your application area. We love using a fertilizer spreader for more even distribution.

Ice melt is an important piece of an overall winter slip-and-fall prevention program.