Winter maintenance

Products for local authorities, the commercial sector and industry

Reliable winter maintenance starts with the right equipment. Our winter maintenance products help local authorities, municipal depots, businesses and industry to keep roads and footpaths safe for vehicles and pedestrians, even in snow and ice. From robust grit bins and efficient gritting lorries to brine tanks and snow ploughs, we offer durable solutions for professional use.

With CEMO’s grit bins, your grit remains protected in all weathers and ready for use at all times. Manufactured from high-quality GRP, they impress with their durability and dimensional stability. The well-thought-out design ensures ease of use in day-to-day operations – from tool-free lid assembly to the practical ability to be forkliftable and stackable, saving both time and space.

Long-lasting quality “Made in Germany”.

Weather-resistant products, practical functionality and high durability in everyday use.

CEMO Campus Expertise: Obligation to clear snow and grit the pavements

Legal basis for winter maintenance

Anyone responsible for winter maintenance is subject to what is known as the duty to ensure public safety. This duty obliges local authorities, property owners and businesses to identify and remove, or at the very least secure, any hazards caused by snow and ice. The legal basis for civil liability is generally Section 823(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB): anyone who culpably breaches the duty to clear snow and grit the roads and thereby causes harm to another person is liable for damages.

Important: There is no uniform federal ‘Winter Maintenance Act’. Instead, the basis is provided by:

the road laws of the federal states (e.g. Section 51 of the Bavarian Roads and Paths Act), which originally assign the duty to clear and grit to the local authorities,
local road-clearing by-laws, through which local authorities usually transfer this duty to property owners – who in turn frequently pass it on by contract to tenants or contracted service providers,
case law, which specifies the scope of the obligation (e.g. usually on weekdays between 7 am and 8 pm; a cleared footpath 1–1.2 metres wide is generally sufficient).

Anyone who delegates the duty to clear snow and grit – for example, to a service provider – remains responsible: selection, instruction, supervision and documentation are still required.

Restrictions on road salt: In many local authorities, the use of road salt on pavements is restricted or even prohibited for environmental reasons (e.g. Munich, Section 5(2) of the Municipal Road Cleaning and Safety Ordinance). It is therefore worth checking the local by-laws before using road salt.

Related products

CEMO Plus3 grit bin with chute, 400 L, grey, orange

Art. no. 10570

477.75 €plus VAT

CEMO Grit bin with vandalism-proof lid, 550 L, grey, orange

Art. no. 10896

672.00 €plus VAT

CEMO Grit bin, 700 L, grey, orange

Art. no. 10835

792.75 €plus VAT

CEMO SW 200 Spreader, 200 L, yellow

Art. no. 10205

3,475.50 €plus VAT

CEMO GRP snow shovel, orange

Art. no. 10064

82.95 €plus VAT

CEMO Glossary: Terms explained briefly

Term	Explanation
Duty to ensure safety on public roads	The duty of the party that creates or introduces a source of danger (e.g. a local authority that permits road traffic) to take the necessary safety precautions against imminent dangers – the basis for the duty to clear snow and grit roads in winter.
Section 823(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB)	Key civil law liability provision: Anyone who, through fault, causes injury to another person’s life, body, health or property is liable to pay damages – the basis for liability in the event of a breach of the duty to clear snow and grit roads.
Street Cleaning By-law	A local authority by-law governing the scope, times and responsibilities for cleaning, clearing and gritting on public roads – usually with the duty being transferred to property owners.
Obligation to clear and grit	The duty, derived from the duty to ensure public safety, to keep roads and pavements safely passable in the event of snow and ice – usually on weekdays between 7 am and 8 pm, with regulations varying by region.
grit	Collective term for materials used to combat slippery conditions – e.g. road salt (de-icing), grit or sand (deslipping, increasing friction). The choice may be restricted by local regulations (e.g. bans on salt).
GRP	Glass-fibre-reinforced plastic – the material used for CEMO grit bins, valued for its durability, dimensional stability and salt resistance.
General Construction Inspection Approval (abZ)	Certification from the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) confirming that a construction product or system complies with building regulations – e.g. approval number Z-40.21-565 for the CUBE brine storage tank.