Icy Marina pontoons

clyst

clyst

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Slipped and fell on icy marina pontoon today yea yea I know .
point.gif
. Fortunately no bones broken just badly bruised . Before I complain to marina management for not salting the main pontoons what does other marinas do ?? Do the salt any ,all or none of the pontoons ?? Do marinas have a Legal obligation to keep their pontoons safe ??

cheers

terry
 
clyst said:
Slipped and fell on icy marina pontoon today yea yea I know .
point.gif
. Fortunately no bones broken just badly bruised . Before I complain to marina management for not salting the main pontoons what does other marinas do ?? Do the salt any ,all or none of the pontoons ?? Do marinas have a Legal obligation to keep their pontoons safe ??

cheers

terry
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Foxs in Ipswich do have salt bins some staff do use it :rolleyes:
 
purlease

Not the marina's fault it was icy - sounds like you had a genuine accident - nobody's fault - just one of those things.

These days however they don't seem to happen so much - always seems we seek someone to blame...
 
if you point out that their staff have to use the pontoons, they would be under an obligation to salt them, or order their staff not to use them (this has happened on a Thames marina, when I told the office).

Their response might be buckets of sand, or salting grit for DIY use. I can't understand why pontoon surfaces are not made with built-in anti-friction surfaces, anyway. Those slotted planks are just the same as the dreaded garden deck ones, and really , pontoons need angled planks to get rid of rain water. The problem is that with wet planks and free air circulating underneath, frost and ice are inevitable.

(\rant)

Or you could try using the pontoons with crampons or running spikes, till they do something about it :)
 
clyst said:
Slipped and fell on icy marina pontoon today yea yea I know .
point.gif
. Fortunately no bones broken just badly bruised . Before I complain to marina management for not salting the main pontoons what does other marinas do ?? Do the salt any ,all or none of the pontoons ?? Do marinas have a Legal obligation to keep their pontoons safe ??

cheers

terry
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would it not be better to just accept that in freezing conditions, that places near water will likely to be slippery, and to accept the risk. Otherwise, costs for everyone go up, as they have to spend more, and take on higher insurance costs.
 
Perhaps the marina's should equip themselves with some of those back pack sprayers and get a couple of members of staff to walk the pontoons every couple of days, giving the walkways a quick coating of saline solution. That ought to sort the problem out and this wouldn't cost the earth. Neither would it mean berth holders transfering gel coat destroying grit onto their decks!

Some may thing the OP is being too dramatic about this problem, but I remember one of the "liveaboards" at Bradwell slipping off an icy pontoon one night. He drowned! Nobody swa or heard anything. They don't know if he died of a heart attack from the cold water shock, or hypothermia. Terrible! :(
 
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All The Gear said:
Perhaps the marina's should equip themselves with some of those back pack sprayers and get a couple of members of staff to walk the pontoons every couple of days, giving the walkways a quick coating of saline solution. That ought to sort the problem out and this wouldn't cost the earth. Neither would it mean berth holders transfering gel coat destroying grit onto their decks!
(
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Waves do much the same thing, if you have a salt water environment. Much cheaper. :)
 
Here the ramps to the marina are gritted/salted in icy weather but the main pontoons are not - and they do become slippery (especially around the taps last night)!

Since we're in the sea there is a natural occurance of salty water each side and all around the pontoons.. there must be a simple way of making use of the salt in the sea.. .surely?
 
Surely the marina has a duty of care.
They must have been aware that the pontoons would be slippery and should have taken reasonable steps to make them safe for their customers. You might have been seriously injured ( an uncle of mine fell over, bumped his head and died!) or fallen in the water and drowned

Get one of the firms of "ambulance chasers" on the case.

National Accident Helpline as advertised on TV perhaps. http://www.national-accident-helpline.co.uk/
 
At the begining of this year, even in Sussex, there were many roads closed by the police or council because of the perceived hazards of ice/snow. Could the marina restict access to the pontoons if they were deemed to be hazardous?
 
They certainly do have a duty of care. Marinas are expensive enough so proper service surely is not much to expect? As for self help that's not on, the marina staff shoul maintain a safe walkway at all times.
 
BrendanS said:
would it not be better to just accept that in freezing conditions, that places near water will likely to be slippery, and to accept the risk. Otherwise, costs for everyone go up, as they have to spend more, and take on higher insurance costs.
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They are liable under the law if a safe environment is not provided for customers and staff alike. Why should I have to provide above duties of care in my work environment and they abuse theirs?
Also if cost is a concern then the first legal challenge if an accident occures will certainly outweigh the cost of a bucket or two of salt spread by their staff.
 
Like the OP I stepped off the stern onto the pontoon on Tuesday evening and went straight A over T due to ice - funny thing is it didn't feel that cold for ice to develop; lucky I didn't end up in the water! I was definitely in shock with the odd cut and my right thigh seriously bruised and painful (guess I landed on it); however SWMBO's pain gel has worked wonders and it's almost back to normal now - available here http://www.aloeland.co.uk

We've now bought a load of salt to assist any need for further clearance and from this thread I'll also buy a bag of sand today and then use as necessary.

In Royal Clarence last year the staff were excellent in clearance activity (in what were very difficult conditions) and I was more than happy to get involved to help. I think that there is responsibility on all to assist and make safe as necessary.

Isn't there the view that it's safer to do nothing as if you, say as a householder, clear your path, and someone slips and hurts themselves then they have a case against you as opposed to doing nothing and the same occurs then they don't?
 
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clyst said:
Slipped and fell on icy marina pontoon today yea yea I know .
point.gif
. Fortunately no bones broken just badly bruised . Before I complain to marina management for not salting the main pontoons what does other marinas do ?? Do the salt any ,all or none of the pontoons ?? Do marinas have a Legal obligation to keep their pontoons safe ??

cheers

terry
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I am sure you can find a no win, no fee solicitor to make a claim for a big payout, after the initial consultation you will probaby notice you have also suffered whiplash :D

Last years snow went uncleared on our marina allegedy because if they attempted to clear and then somebody fell they were liable and if they didnt clear it they were not, sad world we live in.
 
Steve, I've heard that one about not clearing outside one's house too; I would love to be told by someone here with legal knowledge that it's an urban myth, but in the meantime we like others daren't risk it.

The marinas near me sometimes use sand, some don't bother.

One which doesn't bother has the pontoons floating at an angle, as well ! Walking on it in icy conditions is like playing a dangerous version of 'it's a knockout'.

Unsurprisingly, people have died there; as I mentioned in the recent 'sailing risks' thread, last I heard 3 liveaboards had drowned in winter...

Again there is the worry one might be leaving oneself open to legal action if 'interfering' and doing one's own sand / salt, but there comes a time when common sense & safety has to take over - in which situation I suppose the answer is not to be seen distributing the sand !
 
Icy pontoons

We sail in winter, here in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin (Turkey Shoot) if the decks are icy buckets of seawater will clear away any snow and ice and make the boat safe for use. Same for pontoons.Its white- out here today so I'm hopeful roads will be clear enough tomorrow to get there!
good sailing and boating to all!Especially to all the liveaboards!
 
Wrong wrong and double wrong. Icy path and no grit = Act of god.
Grit and not enough of it, someone slips = claim of negligence.

How would a judge view a slip on ice that is already in a naturally occurring salt laden environment? He would think the same as I and opine that since salt was naturally present in vast quantities and it still froze, then the marina had taken all reasonably practicable steps and contributory negligence by the plaintiff was the root cause.

Flushing existing rime ice away with water can only make things worse.

In my opinion of course. :)
 
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