Press Releases

30th November 2007
A Mine of Information
One of the largest rock salt mines in the UK has launched a website as an educational resource for teachers and pupils. Winsford rock salt mine, based in Cheshire has developed the site following frequent requests for information from schools and students.
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28th March 2007
FEATURE FOR HIGHWAYS
April issue At this time of year local authority highways teams turn their attention from winter maintenance to the ongoing job of ensuring gullies are kept emptied and free from debris. This can be a mammoth task for some local authorities that have many miles of roads and tens of thousands of gullies to service.
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12th February 2007
WINTER MAINTENANCE BUDGETS TO BE RING FENCED
The Salt Manufacturers’ Association and the AA are calling for local authorities to ring fence their winter maintenance budgets.  The joint plea follows recent announcements by several local authorities that they are intending to cut back on their winter highways maintenance programme in order to channel funds into other areas.  The SMA and AA are concerned that such a move will prevent cold snaps and snowfalls being dealt with effectively, potentially putting the travelling public at greater risk of accidents.
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15th January 2007
AVOIDING A WINTER OF DISCONTENT
The ‘duty to grit’ legislation that came into force in 2004 made it clear that local authorities have a legal responsibility to ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice.  But with winter maintenance budgets regularly being cut, are some authorities treading on thin ice?  SMA chairman, Peter Sherratt, offers his views.
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December 2006
HIGHWAYS FEATURE
Those of you who have worked in the winter maintenance industry for some time will have witnessed its transformation over the last few years.  There have been a number of technological advances and product developments that have improved the efficiency of winter maintenance provision and made it easier for those at the sharp end to deliver a first class service.  These have included significant developments in gritter technology, the introduction of new types of    de-icing salt and, probably most significantly, the routine use of tracking technology to provide key information about how winter maintenance plans are performing.
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30th June 2005
ANTI CORROSION PREMIX PROVES A HIT
The feedback from local authorities on new anti corrosion product Thawrox 6mm rock salt with Safecote has been overwhelmingly positive after a series of recent seminars at which over 60 local authorities attended. Those who conducted trials of the product over the 04/05 winter season have recorded results that show it making a real difference to highway de-icing. Lower corrosion, greater dust control and elimination of blocking are just some of the benefits that have been noted.
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21st May 2005
NEW GULLY BOX ON RECORD
A new gully box being launched as part of live tracking system Exactrak, records every action a gully sucker makes, so it is easier for local authorities to ensure service standards are being met.
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