CALCIUM CHLORIDE WHITE PAPER

Optimize Your Sidewalk Ice Melting Program to Improve Winter Safety and Meet the Challenges of Today’s Business Climate

By Greg MacDonnell General Manager Occidental Chemical Corporation (OxyChem)

Preventing winter slip and fall accidents Floor Safety Institute, the average cost reputations among visitors who can tell has never been more important for of a worker compensation claim for a that owners and managers – and by building owners, facility managers and slip and fall accident is $4,000. When extension, building tenants – care maintenance contractors responsible for customers or third parties are involved, about their safety and take pride in a keeping walkways free of snow and ice. liability awards quickly jump, averaging well-maintained facility. The cost of effective deicing materials and $60,000 to $100,000 per claim. Legal time spent maintaining safe walks, steps costs, lost productivity and human Best Practices for Snow and entryways is minor compared to the suffering can make the final toll from and Ice Control risks associated with slippery walkways these accidents much higher. Effective snow and ice control means and the damage it can inflict Complying with Local Regulations a lot more than simply having snow on businesses. removal equipment and deicer on hand In many communities, clearing and Today, the need for safety must be with vague instructions for their use in maintaining safe sidewalks are the balanced with other important business the event of a winter storm. Every facility responsibility of the property owner and considerations, including the cost- should have a well-documented plan for regulations often define how quickly efficiency of deicing operations and managing snow and ice, and have staff sidewalks and other public walkways their impact on walkways, buildings and ready to implement it for preventative must be cleared of snow and ice after landscape. Also important are society’s action when a storm is forecast, or for storms. Failure to do so can result in fines rising expectations for facility owners, speedy removal of ice and snow once foul or other penalties. managers and contractors as concerns weather arrives. about human health, accessibility, and Minimizing Insurance Costs Know Your Facility’s Characteristics environmental impact become more Minimizing slip and fall accidents can and Needs widespread. More responsible and translate directly into cost savings for improved snow and ice control practices Begin by understanding needs at your building owners. Operations that are are among the ways facilities are facility and predict how key locations will meticulous about snow and ice control responding to meet the entire range of be impacted by snow and ice events. programs, and document their efforts, requirements. Where is pedestrian traffic heaviest? may be rewarded with lower liability Where do vehicles move, pause or park? insurance premiums.1 The Business Case for What routes do people follow when Effective Ice Melting Maintaining a Quality Reputation moving between locations? Where is access for the disabled most critical? Are There are many business reasons to Efficient, effective and responsible winter certain locations more prone to trouble effectively control snow and ice on maintenance is a hallmark of quality due to exposure to weather, melt runoff, walkways, stairs, landings and other management. In fiercely competitive or vehicle traffic? Do sloped surfaces outdoor surfaces: commercial leasing markets, it can help such as wheelchair or automobile ramps property owners and managers maintain Minimizing Slip/Fall Liability pose an elevated risk to pedestrians satisfaction among current tenants while or motorists? Are there visibility issues A disciplined snow and ice control fostering the positive image necessary related to poor lighting or blowing program can protect facility owners from to attract new ones. It can also enhance snow? It is also important to assess the costly litigation. According to the National

1 WHITE PAPER

total surface area of pavement you will mechanically remove light accumulations environment, lawns and shrubbery, metal have to maintain and what equipment, and can make removal of heavy snow and architectural features and interior flooring. materials and manpower will be required ice faster and easier. Excessive application also increases to respond to winter storm events and costs. By using a faster deicer that Speed and Reliability are Critical maintain safe conditions between storms. performs well at low temperatures, there Timely and reliable attention to snow and is less tendency to over apply. Plan for All Conditions ice melting and removal are essential Be ready for anything. Although mid- to allow tenants, visitors and customers latitude or southern facilities may typically safe passage. Winter maintenance experience only occasional light snow, plans should be designed to provide Winter maintenance plans ice control programs should prepare clear and safe conditions for the first should be designed to for the uncommon events that cause vehicle and pedestrian traffic to arrive provide clear and safe the most trouble. For example, Dallas is during and after a storm. Preventive conditions for the first well-known for its warm climate, but a maintenance should be performed to vehicle and pedestrian few times a year it receives freezing rain ensure equipment is well-maintained traffic to arrive during that can bring the city and facilities to a and available for duty on short notice. halt. Further north, cities like Chicago and Adequate supplies of ice melting material and after a storm. Minneapolis experience winter storms should be stocked on-site for immediate and very cold temperatures all winter access. Maintenance crews should be long. Businesses and individuals in any trained and ready to remove snow and Comparing Ice Melters ice quickly and properly. Standards for region expect that sidewalks, steps, To evaluate the performance reliability crew response and performance of winter entryways and parking lots – as well as and the speed of melting associated maintenance activities should include roads and highways – will remain open with different ice melting materials, it adequate time for deicer to penetrate ice during bad weather and will be quickly helps to understand that solid deicers and loosen it for mechanical removal. returned to ice- and snow-free condition must first dissolve before ice melting can This will help eliminate the tendency to after a storm. begin. The resulting deicer solution melts over apply ice melter in an attempt to Make Mechanical Removal a Priority surrounding ice on contact. achieve faster results. Over application is The most economical and lowest impact a wasteful practice that may cause large Even though it may not be visible, method of snow and ice control is amounts of residual deicer to remain on water is always present on the surface mechanical removal of accumulations the surface long after snow and ice have of ice. The amount of water increases during and after winter storm events. melted, increasing the potential for indoor as temperatures rise and is reduced Prompt removal of snow and ice from tracking and environmental impact. when temperatures drop. During colder walkways and parking lots minimizes conditions, when there is little water on Choose the Right Ice Melter compaction by foot and vehicle traffic. the surface of ice, rock salt and some Mechanically removing any existing snow, Several performance characteristics other solid deicers take longer to dissolve, before applying ice melter, enables the should guide the selection of an ice resulting in slow melting action. However, deicer to more quickly penetrate and melter, but two are particularly important: hygroscopic deicers dissolve and begin break the bond between remaining ice melting ice very quickly even under cold, • Reliable Performance – Will the and the underlying pavement. This can “dry” conditions. Hygroscopic deicers deicer perform well in the coldest reduce the amount of deicer required and will attract any available moisture from temperatures your property may the potential for impact on infrastructure the surface of the ice as well as the experience? and the environment. surrounding air so the ice melter can • Ice Melting Speed – How quickly will begin to dissolve. Use Anti-icing Treatments to Prevent the material melt ice to minimize Slippery Conditions Some deicers actually accelerate melting pedestrian exposure to potentially by chemically reacting with moisture to dangerous conditions? When foul winter weather is in the release significant heat. Ice melters that forecast, ice melter materials can The goal of any ice melting program is release heat are called “exothermic” be applied in advance as anti-icing to minimize slip and fall hazards using and melt ice more quickly and at very treatments to keep subsequent freezing the least amount of materials. When cold temperatures. Other deicers are rain or light snowfall from bonding to used excessively, all ice melting materials “endothermic”. Rather than releasing pavement. This may eliminate the need to can have an impact on the natural heat, they must draw heat from their

2 WHITE PAPER

surroundings to dissolve. Endothermic small percentage of calcium chloride Potassium Chloride deicers work slower than exothermic that cold weather effectiveness is not Endothermic properties and a lowest products, especially when temperatures significantly improved. Like all chloride- effective use temperature of +25°F (4°C) are cold and when little surface moisture based materials – including rock salt limits the use of potassium chloride for is present to help them dissolve. (sodium chloride) and magnesium ice melting. The material performs more chloride – calcium chloride is moderately A variety of deicer products are available slowly than calcium chloride, rock salt corrosive to unprotected metals, and can for maintaining safe sidewalks, steps, and magnesium chloride with relatively harm lawns and other plants if deicer is entryways, parking lots and driveways. low melt volume capability. Like other over-applied or large quantities are directly Following is a brief overview of the most chloride materials, potassium chloride applied to grass or other vegetation. widely-used deicing materials and their has moderate potential for corrosion and performance characteristics. environmental impact.

Sodium Chloride (Rock Salt) Urea Calcium chloride is Rock salt, or NaCl, is a readily available Urea is also endothermic and has and relatively inexpensive product that is the most widely used a relatively high lowest effective use widely used in its pure form or in blends non-sodum chloride temperature of +25°F (-4°C), which limits with other deicers. With a lowest effective deicer. Its lowest effective its use during typical winter conditions in temperature of +20°F (-7°C), rock salt is temperature, -25°F northern regions and at higher altitudes. a relatively slow and ineffective ice melter (-32°C), is below that of The material exhibits relatively slow ice when temperatures are 20°F or lower. penetration compared to other materials. Rock salt is endothermic, which means other common deicers. Although urea is lower in toxicity to it must draw heat from its surroundings plants and wildlife than chloride-based to form ice-melting brine. Rock salt is products, its high organic content can moderately corrosive to unprotected elevate biological oxygen demand in rivers Magnesium Chloride metals. Lawns and other plants can be and lakes, which could pose a threat to harmed if rock salt is over-applied or Similar to calcium chloride, magnesium aquatic life under certain conditions. large quantities are directly applied to chloride (MgCl ) is a hygroscopic material, 2 Calcium Magnesium Acetate grass or vegetation. able to attract moisture from the air. However, unlike calcium chloride, solid Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) Calcium Chloride magnesium chloride is a hexahydrate is an expensive material typically sold Calcium chloride is the most widely used salt, meaning it is 53% water by weight. in blends with rock salt or other lower non-sodium chloride deicer. Its lowest Because this solid product is so diluted, cost ice melters. Its lowest effective use effective temperature, -25°F (-32°C), more of it must be applied to deliver ice temperature is about +20°F (-7°C), is below that of other common deicers, melting capacity equal to calcium chloride roughly equivalent to rock salt, and providing reliable performance at the or sodium chloride. Magnesium chloride’s CMA exhibits slow ice penetration. The widest range of temperatures. Calcium capacity to melt ice is somewhat less addition of CMA to chloride ice melters chloride is a hygroscopic material that effective than sodium chloride (rock salt) is sometimes claimed to reduce the attracts moisture from its surroundings, after 20 minutes at 20°F, even though potential for ice melter damage to steel which speeds the creation of brine it is typically more expensive than rock and vegetation. However, the small and gives melting action a fast start. salt. Magnesium chloride is exothermic amount of CMA typically incorporated Calcium chloride is also exothermic. As but does not release as much heat as in blended products is not sufficient it dissolves in contact with moisture, it calcium chloride. It has a lowest effective to reduce corrosion to metal or reduce releases a significant amount of heat. This temperature of 0°F (-18°C). Like other damage to plants. Like urea, CMA is speeds the melting action, particularly at chloride-based ice melters, magnesium lower in toxicity to plants and wildlife lower temperatures, and makes it more chloride has moderate potential for than chloride-based products, but the effective at colder temperatures than corrosion. Lawns and other plants can material’s high organic content can other products. Calcium chloride is often be harmed if magnesium chloride is elevate biological oxygen demand in rivers blended with sodium chloride to make over-applied or large quantities are and lakes, creating a potential threat to rock salt a more effective ice melting directly applied to grass or vegetation. aquatic life. option at colder temperatures. However, caution should be used in choosing a rock salt blend – many contain such a

3 WHITE PAPER

The Advantages of Calcium Chloride Their compact, round shape concentrates Proper Application of melting action on a very small area of Calcium Chloride Calcium chloride offers distinct ice surface, causing the deicer to bore performance advantages over other As discussed earlier, the most effective, through ice up to three times faster than deicers, melting ice faster and at lower responsible and economical snow and other pelletized ice melters. This enables temperatures. The following charts ice control programs rely on mechanical the calcium chloride to more quickly compare the performance of calcium removal first to enable application of penetrate and break the ice’s bond with chloride to alternative products. the smallest amount of deicer needed underlying pavement. Once the bond is to penetrate ice and disrupt its bond Melts Ice at Lower Temperatures broken, mechanical removal operations to pavement. This is true regardless can be performed more efficiently A primary advantage of calcium chloride of which deicer product is used. The and effectively. is its reliable performance with its low performance advantages of calcium effective temperature of -25°F (-32°C). chloride can make it easier to reduce Speed of Penetration at 20°F (-7°C) It continues to attract moisture, generate the amount of deicer used, but proper heat and melt ice quickly under the Calcium Magnesium Acetate application procedures are required to cold conditions that slow the ice melting achieve that goal. performance of other deicers. Potassium Chloride 10 Minutes 20 Minutes Calibrate All Deicer Urea Application Equipment Melting Range Comparison Calibration of application equipment is Potassium Chloride Magnesium Chloride Pellets important for cost-effective product use and to minimize introduction of ice melter Urea Rock Salt into the environment. This is especially important where large quantities of Rock Salt PELADOW™ Calcium Chloride Pellets deicers are applied from vehicles across Magnesium Chloride broad surface areas. Even handheld spreaders should be calibrated to control 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 Calcium Chloride actual application rates. The McHenry Ice Penetration, mm/mg deicer County (Illinois) Snow & Ice Handbook for -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 Sidewalks and Parking Lots2 provides a (-34) (-29) (-23) (-18) (-12) (-7) (-1) (4) A melt volume comparison of PELADOW™ useful example calibration procedure for Temperature, °F (°C) Calcium Chloride Pellets with other smaller scale commercial operations. products at 5°F (-15°C) illustrates the Melts Ice Faster greater effectiveness of calcium chloride Clear Accumulations Before when melting ice at low temperatures. Deicer Application Fast ice melting performance can mean PELADOW™ melts ice up to three times the difference between a dangerous slip There is no reason to use excessive deicer faster than competing materials. hazard and sound footing when the first to melt ice and snow that isn’t bonded pedestrian arrives during or after a winter to pavement; it’s not environmentally- storm. Calcium chloride melts ice faster Melt Volume Capability at 20°F (-7°C) friendly, it takes extra time, and it than other deicers for two reasons: Calcium Magnesium Acetate increases deicer costs. For best results, plow or shovel snow accumulations prior • It attracts moisture from its Potassium Chloride to spreading ice melter. surroundings to form ice-melting brine 10 Minutes 20 Minutes faster than other deicers. Application Rate Urea • It actually generates heat as it attracts For smaller areas like sidewalks and and chemically reacts with surrounding Magnesium Chloride Pellets building entrances, solid calcium chloride moisture. For example, a pound of should be distributed evenly, preferably calcium chloride pellets will raise the with a spreader. Follow the application Rock Salt temperature of a gallon of water by over instructions on product packaging to 30°F (17°C). avoid over-applying deicer. Give the PELADOW™ Calcium Chloride Pellets deicer time to loosen the bond between PELADOW™ Calcium Chloride Pellets ice and pavement, then remove the from OxyChem have an additional feature 0 1 2 3 4 resulting slushy ice mechanically. that speeds ice melting performance. Melt Volume, ml/g deicer

4 WHITE PAPER

Calcium chloride should be applied solid calcium chloride for deicing can Effective Ice Control Addresses shortly after snow begins, to facilitate also be used for anti-icing treatments All Business Needs easy mechanical removal and prevent ice with solid products. Advances in snow and ice control buildup. Removal of thick ice may require It is important to recognize limitations practices have made it easier for higher application rates to penetrate and associated with anti-icing applications. building owners, facility managers and undercut the ice layer. First, anti-icing should not be attempted maintenance contractors to minimize Disperse Product Properly if rain or freezing rain is predicted the hazards of ice and snow and because the treatment may wash away. maintain access for pedestrians and Use of a handheld, mechanical Also, over-application of liquid anti-icers motorists. By using the right deicing dispersing spreader is typically a far can result in slippery conditions. Finally, products and following best practices better choice than using a simple scoop, in storm events with heavier snowfall and for their application, business needs for especially for smaller areas like entryways dropping temperatures, anti-icing may cost savings and reduced impact on and steps. Spreaders provide more even not be effective in preventing ice and infrastructure and the environment can distribution patterns, help avoid formation snow from bonding to the surface. also be met. Together, that’s a robust of deicer piles that can lead to tracking prescription to meet the challenges mess, and help make sure the proper Managing Deicer Tracking presented by the forces of nature and a amount of deicer is used – potentially on Interior Floors demanding business climate. reducing waste by as much as 50% and limiting introduction of deicer into When tracked onto hard surface flooring, To learn more about best practices the environment. slush, snowmelt and residual deicer can for sidewalk ice melting and the role create a slip hazard. To manage tracking, of calcium chloride in implementing Anti-Icing Applications Can follow the directions on the product more effective, efficient and Further Reduce Ice Melter Use label for proper deicer use. Deicer responsible ice control programs, should not be over-applied, especially According to the Winter Parking Lot and visit IceFreeSidewalks.com. near entryways. Entrance mats should Sidewalk Maintenance Manual3 widely be used to avoid tracking onto interior used in Minnesota, “Anti-icing is the most floors. When tracking occurs, it should be cost-effective and environmentally safe About the Author cleaned from flooring as soon as possible. practice in winter maintenance.” The Because calcium chloride is highly water- Greg MacDonnell is the General manual states that anti-icing treatments soluble, it can be cleaned from hard Manager of OxyChem’s Calcium applied in advance of foul weather often surfaces with warm, fresh water. Chloride Business. He has worked in the require only a quarter of the ice control chemical industry for over 30 years in material and cost just one-tenth as much Proper procedures for cleaning deicer various sales, marketing and business as deicing operations implemented after from carpets include a multi-step process management roles including over 20 a storm. Liquid and solid calcium chloride that removes both the deicer and any years in the calcium chloride industry. can be used for anti-icing. dirt that has also been tracked in and Mr. MacDonnell is a Business deposited on the carpet. The majority of Administration graduate from St. A wide variety of portable, walk behind, experts recommend a cleaning procedure Lawrence College. and truck- or trailer-mounted equipment that includes a pH-neutral detergent wash can be used for liquid applications while followed by hot water extraction. the same equipment used for applying

1 Martin Tirado, executive director of the Snow and Ice Management Association, consumerinsuranceguide.com 2 Snow & Ice Control Handbook for Sidewalks and Parking Lots, McHenry County, IL, 2010. 3 Winter Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance Manual, C. Dindorf and C. Fortin, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, 2010.

Calcium Chloride Products 1600 South Madison Street Ludington, Michigan 49431 OxyCalciumChloride.com

888-293-2336 ™ [email protected] Trademark of Occidental Chemical Corporation 5