Introducing Salt Smart Certified
The Salt Smart Collaborative is kicking off a new program – Salt Smart Certified for Parking Lots and Sidewalks. The program will provide training and resources for winter professionals that clear parking lots and sidewalks during the winter. Salt Smart Certified will emphasize the use of industry-accepted best practices for winter maintenance – practices that keep surfaces safe and reduce waste. This program is tailored to management level staff and Illinois, sharing important information and resources specific to our state.
The Conservation Foundation received a Section 319 Grant from the Illinois EPA to develop an Illinois-based manual and training program for parking lots and sidewalks. The manual and training program were developed with input from Illinois-based winter professionals to share important information about the industry-accepted best practices for winter maintenance and how these practices can benefit your operations.
The Illinois Winter Maintenance Manual is now available! Click here to view and download the manual in English or Spanish.
A Snow and Ice Management for Property Managers booklet is availale. Click here to view and download the Property Manager Booklet in English here.
Salt Smart Certified Training
Salt Smart Certified training is a half day class for management level staff from organizations in Illinois like private contractors, businesses, park districts, school districts, or municipalities who maintain parking lots and sidewalks during the winter. Participating in a Salt Smart Certified training class will provide information on how Salt Smart Practices can save you money, time and still provide the safe surfaces your clients and facility users need. This class will provide examples of how to incorporate and expand Salt Smart practices into your operations.
Training Goals
- Provide an understanding of well accepted, best management practices for winter maintenance
- Realize how excess, wasted salt impacts our local, natural and built environments
- Convey that being Salt Smart is good for your organization’s bottom line
Topics Covered During Training
- Planning and Documentation
- Calibration
- Materials
- Key actions before, during, and after winter storms
- Pavement Temperatures
- Winter maintenance impacts to the built and natural environment
- And more!
Be a Salt Smart Certified Organization
Being Salt Smart Certified provides many benefits for Private Contractors and other organizations:
- Assures clients and facility users that you are knowledgeable in the use of Salt Smart practices that provide safe winter surfaces and reduce damage to their property and the environment
- Provides proper training to key staff to implement industry accepted best practices for winter maintenance
- Educates on practices that can save your business/organization money and time and improve your operations
- Using Salt Smart Practices reduces wasted materials – saving you money
- Listed as Salt Smart Certified on our website
- Access to resources for Salt Smart Certified organizations, including education and marketing materials
Participating organizations can be Salt Smart Certified after meeting several requirements:
Salt Smart Trained – Individuals
- Take Salt Smart Certified Training for Parking Lots & Sidewalks every three years
- Pass evaluation
- Participate in annual continuing education
Salt Smart Certified – Contractors/Organizations
- Owner/Managers/Supervisors are Salt Smart Trained
- Provide internal training to staff annually on Salt Smart Practices
- Calibrate all salt spreading equipment and document
- Maintain facility plan for each location serviced
- Keep event and season records
- Use industry accepted best practices for winter maintenance in their operations
- Complete Annual Reporting and certification fee on SaltSmart.org
Why Hire a Salt Smart Certified Contractor?
Salt Smart Certified Contractors are using industry accepted best practices for winter maintenance. These practices can provide safe surfaces, protect our natural environment, and cause less damage to the built environment. Using Salt Smart Practices at your facility and using Salt Smart Certified Contractors has many benefits:
- Safety comes first - Salt Smart Certified Contractors using industry accepted best practices can provide safe surfaces with less salt
- Using less salt means less damage to your property including sidewalks, ramps, and buildings
- Salt Smart Certified Contractors have staff that have been through training on industry accepted best practices
- Less salt protects the natural environment – less damage to landscaping saving money on replacement costs in the spring
- Salt Smart practices contribute to maintaining LEED Certification
