By Chris, Director at Store Fittings Direct. Last updated 7 October 2026.
A grit bin is a weatherproof outdoor container that stores rock salt (or a salt and grit mix) right where you need it, so staff can treat car parks, footpaths, ramps and entrances before ice forms. For any business with outdoor areas that people walk or drive on, it is one of the cheapest bits of kit you can buy to cut slips, claims and lost trading days over winter.
Quick answer: As a rule of thumb, 1 litre of grit bin capacity holds about 1 kg of rock salt, so a 200 litre bin holds roughly 200 kg and a 400 litre bin roughly 400 kg. Councils typically spread salt at 15–20 g per square metre to prevent ice and 20–30 g/m² in snow, which means a full 200 litre bin is enough for roughly ten precautionary treatments of a 1,000 m² car park. Rock salt starts to lose effectiveness below about -5°C. At Store Fittings Direct, grit bins start from £198.46 ex VAT for a 200 litre bin, and £246.15 ex VAT for 400 litres.
Contents
- Why your site needs a grit bin
- The law: who has to grit, and where
- Grit bin sizes: 200 litre vs 400 litre
- How much salt do you actually need?
- Grit bin prices UK (2026 price table)
- How to choose the right grit bin
- Grit bins by site type
- How to grit properly (and when)
- Other winter site-safety kit worth having
- Why buy grit bins from Store Fittings Direct
- Grit bin FAQs
Why your site needs a grit bin
Slips are the biggest single cause of non-fatal workplace injury in Great Britain. According to the Health and Safety Executive, 30% of non-fatal injuries to employees reported in 2024/25 were slips, trips or falls on the same level. Winter makes it worse: frost on a car park, black ice on a ramp, or slush walked into a shop entrance.
The usual problem isn't having no salt. It's a split bag set like concrete in a store room at 6:30 on a frosty morning. A proper grit bin fixes three things:
- It keeps salt dry. Wet rock salt clumps and won't spread. A sealed lid stops that.
- It puts salt where the risk is. Next to the car park, the loading bay or the front door, not 200 metres away.
- It shows you take the risk seriously. A visible, stocked bin and a gritting log are part of the evidence that you did what was "reasonably practicable" if a claim ever lands.
Our earlier post, Grit Bins That Make a Difference, covers the basics. This guide adds sizes, salt quantities, the law and real prices.
The law: who has to grit, and where
There is no single law that says "every business must own a grit bin". But there are clear duties that, in practice, mean you need a way to deal with ice on your premises.
Employers: Workplace Regulations 1992
Regulation 12(3) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 says that "so far as is reasonably practicable", every floor and traffic route in a workplace must be kept free from "any article or substance which may cause a person to slip, trip or fall". Traffic routes include your car park, yard and footpaths. Ice and compacted snow count.
Occupiers: the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957
If customers, visitors or delivery drivers come onto your site, the Occupiers' Liability Act 1957 gives you a "common duty of care" to keep them reasonably safe. Retail car parks, garden centres, care homes and schools are all obvious examples.
HSE's practical advice
The HSE's slips and trips guidance tells employers to identify the outdoor pedestrian areas "most likely to be affected by ice" and to grit them. It also gives timing advice: "The best times are early in evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive."
Councils and public roads
Highway authorities have their own duty under section 41(1A) of the Highways Act 1980 to ensure, "so far as is reasonably practicable", that safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice. That covers public roads and pavements, not your private car park. Council grit bins are for public roads and paths only. GOV.UK says plainly: "do not use the salt from salting bins" for your own clearing. So if you have private land, you need your own supply.
Good news for the public pavement outside your shop: the same GOV.UK page says "it's unlikely that you'll be sued or held responsible if someone is injured on a path or pavement if you've cleared it carefully."
This is general guidance, not legal advice. If you're unsure about your duties, speak to your insurer or a health and safety adviser.
Grit bin sizes: 200 litre vs 400 litre
The industry rule of thumb is that 1 litre of bin capacity holds roughly 1 kg of rock salt. Suppliers sell 200 litre bins with eight 25 kg bags (200 kg) and 400 litre bins with sixteen 25 kg bags (400 kg), which backs that up. Rock salt usually comes in 25 kg bags, so:
- 200 litre grit bin: about 200 kg, or eight 25 kg bags.
- 400 litre grit bin: about 400 kg, or sixteen 25 kg bags.
When 200 litres is enough
A 200 litre bin suits small car parks, a single shop frontage with a few parking spaces, school entrances, surgery or care home paths, and as a "satellite" bin by a ramp or steps on a larger site.
When you need 400 litres (or more than one bin)
Go for 400 litres for retail parks, supermarkets, distribution yards, larger car parks, and any site where you can't easily restock during a cold snap. If your site is spread out, two 200 litre bins in different spots usually beat one 400 litre bin in the wrong place. Nobody carries a shovel of salt 150 metres in the dark.
Small salt boxes for doorways and forecourts
For entrances, fire exits and forecourts, a compact salt box with a hopper is quicker to use than a full grit bin. The Ratcliffe Salt Box comes in 21, 63 and 90 litres and lets salt flow into a front tray, so you can scoop without lifting the lid in the rain.
How much salt do you actually need?
Step 1: Use the councils' spread rates
UK councils publish the rates they use. Nottinghamshire County Council says "we usually apply 15gms/m2 or 20gms/m2". Bradford Council spreads 15 g/m² on a normal precautionary run and 20–30 g/m² in snow. So:
- Preventing ice (precautionary): 15–20 g per m².
- Snow or existing ice: 20–30 g per m².
Step 2: Measure the area you'll treat
Only count the bits people actually use: main walkways, entrances, ramps, steps, disabled bays, pedestrian crossings and the busiest driving aisles.
Step 3: Do the maths
Area (m²) x spread rate (g) ÷ 1,000 = kg of salt per treatment.
| Area treated | Per precautionary run (15–20 g/m²) | Per snow run (20–30 g/m²) | Suggested bin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 m² (shop front, paths, a few bays) | 4–5 kg | 5–7.5 kg | Salt box or 200 L |
| 1,000 m² (small car park) | 15–20 kg | 20–30 kg | 200 L |
| 2,500 m² (medium car park and paths) | 37.5–50 kg | 50–75 kg | 400 L |
| 5,000 m²+ (retail park, yard) | 75–100 kg | 100–150 kg | 2 x 400 L, spread around site |
Shovel spreading is less even than a council spreader, so allow extra on slopes, steps and entrances. Plan for a cold spell, not one morning: a week of frosts with two treatments a day soon adds up, and salt gets scarce once everyone is buying. Fill your bins in October and November.
Grit bin prices UK (2026 price table)
Here's what grit bins and related winter kit cost at Store Fittings Direct today. All prices are ex VAT. Our product pages show both ex VAT and inc VAT prices.
| Product | Size / option | From (ex VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Ratcliffe Grit Bin | 200 litres | £198.46 |
| Ratcliffe Grit Bin | 200 litres with hasp & staple | £221.54 |
| Ratcliffe Grit Bin | 400 litres | £246.15 |
| Ratcliffe Grit Bin | 400 litres with hasp & staple | £269.23 |
| Ratcliffe Salt Box | 21 litres | £120.00 |
| Ratcliffe Salt Box | 63 litres | £140.00 |
| Ratcliffe Salt Box | 90 litres | £160.00 |
| IceFree Traffic Mirror | 600 x 800 mm | £1,412.23 |
| Illuminated Night Owl bollard | Single, no symbol | £445.00 |
Prices were correct on 7 October 2026 and can change. The bin is a one-off cost; the salt is what you restock each year.
How to choose the right grit bin
1. Capacity
Use the table above. If in doubt, go bigger or buy two.
2. Lid and weatherproofing
This is the bit that matters most. Damp salt sets solid. The Ratcliffe grit bin has a reinforced double-wall lid built for weather resistance, which keeps the salt loose and ready to spread.
3. Lockable or not
On public-facing sites, salt goes walkabout or bins fill with rubbish. A hasp and staple (from £221.54 ex VAT for 200 litres) lets you padlock it. On a staff-only yard you can usually skip it.
4. Colour
The Ratcliffe comes in yellow or black. Yellow is the colour everyone recognises as "grit bin", which is handy in an emergency. Darker colours blend in better on smart frontages, heritage sites and hotel entrances.
5. Handling
Running a depot or several sites? The Ratcliffe is stackable with forklift pockets and a label area for site or refill date.
6. Placement
Put bins on firm, level ground near the areas you'll treat, clear of fire exits and dropped kerbs. Keep a shovel with each one.
Grit bins by site type
Retail and supermarkets
The risk is the walk from car to door. A 400 litre bin near the trolley bay plus a salt box by the door works well. Slush tracked indoors is the next problem, which is where good entrance matting helps; see our guide to the best entrance floor mats for commercial sites. If you have a trolley shelter, keep the area around it gritted too.
Warehouses and distribution yards
Lorries, forklifts and pedestrians share space, so ice is a double risk. Grit pedestrian routes and loading bay approaches first. Large yards usually need two or more 400 litre bins. Our warehouse safety equipment guide covers the wider kit list, and our loading bay barriers help keep people out of vehicle routes.
Schools, colleges and nurseries
Morning drop-off is the danger time. Grit before the gates open. Lockable bins are sensible. See our schools range and school bins and seating.
NHS, GP surgeries and care homes
Patients and residents are more likely to be unsteady on their feet, so ramps, drop-off points and disabled bays come first. Browse our NHS range for products suited to healthcare sites.
Councils, parish councils and housing
Public grit bins get heavy use and some misuse, so lockable 400 litre bins are the norm. Browse our councils range and wider street furniture.
Offices, hotels and hospitality
A black 200 litre bin plus a salt box by the entrance is usually enough. Don't forget the route to your smoking shelter or cycle shelter, which often gets missed.
How to grit properly (and when)
Grit before the ice, not after
Salt works by mixing with moisture to make salty water, which freezes at a lower temperature than plain water. That takes time. As the HSE puts it, "salt doesn't work instantly; it needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor." So grit in the early evening when frost is forecast, and again early in the morning before staff and customers arrive.
Know the temperature limits
Rock salt is not magic. Derbyshire County Council says it "is less effective at temperatures below minus 5 degrees centigrade" and "does not melt ice below minus 8 degrees". Nottinghamshire gives the same -5°C warning. In a hard frost you may need to clear and re-treat more often, and use grit or sand for extra grip.
Clear snow first
Salt doesn't melt deep snow on its own. Shovel fresh, loose snow first (it's much harder once it's been walked on), then salt what's left. Never pour hot water on ice: GOV.UK warns it "may refreeze and turn to black ice".
Keep a gritting log
Note the date, time, who gritted, which areas and the weather. It takes 30 seconds and is useful evidence if someone claims they slipped.
Other winter site-safety kit worth having
Ice-free traffic mirrors
Standard mirrors frost or steam up exactly when you need them on a blind exit. The IceFree Traffic Mirror uses a thermo-active gel behind the stainless steel face to stop ice and condensation forming, with no electrical supply needed, and is rated down to -20°C. See our full traffic mirrors range and our guide on how to specify safety mirrors.
Illuminated and high-visibility bollards
From late October it's dark at both ends of the working day. Lit or reflective bollards make islands, kerbs and crossings easy to spot in rain and gloom. The Illuminated Night Owl is a flexible keep-left bollard from £445 ex VAT, and the non-illuminated Night Owl starts from £175 ex VAT. Read more in our Night Owl keep-left bollard guide, or browse all bollards.
Wheel stops and car park safety
When snow covers bay markings, drivers misjudge where to stop. Rubber wheel stops give a physical cue and protect walls, fences and EV chargers. See are wheel stops necessary on commercial sites?
Winter workwear and footwear
Staff doing the gritting need warm, waterproof, high-visibility gear and decent grip underfoot. We stock outerwear and safety footwear.
Why buy grit bins from Store Fittings Direct
- Clear pricing: every product shows the price ex VAT and inc VAT, so there are no surprises at checkout.
- Free delivery on over 90% of our products.
- Over 30 years' experience supplying retailers, the NHS, councils, warehouses and construction sites.
- ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, and a SEDEX member.
- Every one of our Google reviews is five stars.
- One supplier for the whole site: grit bins, litter bins, bollards, shelters, mirrors and barriers in one order.
- Real advice: not sure which size or how many? Call us on 0116 318 4182.
Winter stock sells fast once the first frost hits. Order your grit bins now and get them filled before the cold arrives.
Grit bin FAQs
What size grit bin do I need?
Work out the area you'll treat, multiply by 15–20 g per m² for precautionary gritting, and allow for several treatments in a cold spell. As a rough guide, a 200 litre bin suits small car parks and frontages, and a 400 litre bin (or two bins) suits retail parks, yards and larger sites.
How much salt does a 400 litre grit bin hold?
About 400 kg. The rule of thumb is 1 litre of capacity holds roughly 1 kg of rock salt, so a 400 litre bin takes around sixteen 25 kg bags and a 200 litre bin around eight.
How much does a grit bin cost in the UK?
At Store Fittings Direct, the Ratcliffe grit bin costs from £198.46 ex VAT for 200 litres and £246.15 ex VAT for 400 litres. A hasp and staple for padlocking adds around £23 ex VAT.
Do businesses have to grit their car parks by law?
There's no law that names grit bins, but employers must keep workplace traffic routes free of anything that could cause a slip so far as is reasonably practicable (Workplace Regulations 1992, regulation 12), and occupiers owe visitors a common duty of care. In practice that means having a plan and the means to treat ice.
Can I use salt from a council grit bin for my business?
No. Council grit bins are for public roads and pavements. GOV.UK advises people not to use the salt from salting bins for their own clearing, so private sites need their own grit bin and salt.
When is the best time to grit?
Before ice forms. HSE advises gritting in the early evening before frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive, because salt needs time to dissolve into moisture on the ground.
Does rock salt work in very cold weather?
It becomes less effective below about -5°C and, according to Derbyshire County Council, does not melt ice below about -8°C. In very hard frosts, clear snow first, re-treat more often and use grit or sand for extra grip.
Should I buy a lockable grit bin?
If the bin is on a public-facing site, yes. A lockable hasp and staple stops people taking salt for their own use or filling the bin with rubbish, so it's full when you need it.
