OLECG meets to ensure Orkney is winter ready

The drop in temperatures has reminded us that winter is on the way and in preparation the Orkney Local Emergency Co-ordinating Group (OLECG) has met to ensure partners are winter ready.

The group involves representatives from a broad range of organisations, including the emergency and public services, transport providers, the utilities and voluntary sector, and they gathered together virtually on Wednesday (20 October) to discuss winter readiness and ensure resilience plans are in order.

The meeting was chaired by Orkney Islands Council’s Interim Executive Director Environmental, Property & IT Services, Hayley Green. She said: “While winter can be fun-filled with snowball fights, sledging, hot drinks and festive films, it’s important to remember that we all need to be ready in case the weather turns extreme and the temperatures plummet. While this is not all that common in Orkney, it does happen, and I am confident that the Council and partner organisations have resilience plans that are either in place or being updated in regards to winter resilience.

“Folk living in Orkney tend to be a hardy lot and are well used to what can be long, dark and sometimes challenging wintry conditions, but it doesn’t hurt to remind everyone to ensure they also have that resilience in place. It pays to be prepared.”

Orkney Islands Council treats public roads and footpaths in wintry weather according to a carefully compiled Winter Service Plan. Treatment is prioritised in order to keep as many vital routes as clear as possible during severe weather spells. You can find out more by visiting

Being prepared for severe weather is something we all need to do – it takes only a few simple steps and is important if you’re on the move/road.

In severe weather conditions, your journey could take longer than expected and before travelling in bad weather, you should:

• Check the weather forecast and road conditions.
• Consider whether you need to travel right now or if you can wait until the weather improves.
• Consider alternative routes and modes of transport.
• Allow extra time for your journey.
• Make sure your car is ready for a journey in poor weather.
• Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged.
• Tell someone your destination and when you expect to arrive.
• Consider fitting winter tyres to your vehicle.
• Be prepared for severe weather by packing a few essential items to take with you. Your emergency kit for your car could include an ice scraper and de-icer, a shovel for snow, a torch and spare batteries, warm clothes, boots and a blanket, some food and a warm drink in a flask, a first aid kit and battery jump leads.
• On public transport dress for the season/forecast, have a means of contacting your family and for a long journey, carry a small snack and some water if possible.

Keeping well

All those who are eligible for the flu vaccine are being encouraged by NHS Orkney to come forward, when asked to have their vaccination. This vaccine is really important for your protection against the flu this winter.

The Covid-19 vaccination scheme is still being rolled out at all stages. NHS Orkney will be in touch with you if you are due a booster, 3rd dose or 2nd dose. If you are still to have your first dose, please do get in touch by calling 0300 303 5313.

We would urge the community to take twice weekly lateral flow tests when they are showing no signs of Covid-19. If your lateral flow test is positive, please isolate with your household immediately and book a PCR test. This can be done by calling 01856 888211.

When undertaking lateral flow tests, it’s important to record your results each time on the online portal, regardless if negative or positive.

If you are showing signs of COVID-19, please isolate immediately (with your household) and book a PCR test.

Do not forget the simple steps to protect yourself from COVID-19: wear face coverings, wash your hands, if meeting up indoors, please ensure there is good ventilation.

Be mindful of keeping up-to-date with repeat prescriptions.

Look after yourself by eating well and keeping hydrated in a bid to stave off less serious conditions, such as the common cold. Pharmacies are also a great source of information and advice for minor ailments and there’s the Pharmacy First Minor Ailments Scheme to get advice and, when appropriate, free treatment for certain common illnesses without seeing a GP. This is available locally at Boots and Sutherlands the Chemist.

In the home

Getting prepared for severe weather is easy and we would like to encourage householders to create resilience plans and an emergency kit or a series of things that they have ready to hand in the event of disruption.  Ready Scotland have useful templates which you can use. 

Be prepared for severe weather by making your home more energy efficient, keeping dry (protecting pipes and knowing how to turn off the water supply if you need to) and staying connected (keep a battery operated radio and a list of emergency contact numbers to hand).

Think about what else is important for you and your family to get by during an emergency e.g. pet supplies, food supplies, formula/baby food.

In icy weather, there are steps you can take to keep the paths near your home safe for you and your neighbours. The tips below for clearing ice and snow outside your property reflect guidelines being developed nationally by Transport Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and are based on some frequently asked questions:

There is no law preventing you from clearing snow and ice from paths or pavement outside your house, shop or office. Doing your part may help the local community and will be very helpful to the more vulnerable members of society. In severe weather Council employees may be very busy clearing other areas and priority and lifeline routes.

Some people may be unable to clear their paths. Being a good neighbour and clearing their paths for them is the kind of practical step that most of us can take during cold weather.

Practical tips for clearing paths and pavements:

• Do not use hot water. This may melt the snow and ice initially but will refreeze quickly to a form a very slippery surface.
• Wear suitable warm clothing and footwear with good grip - use ice grippers on your footwear if you own a set.
• If shovelling snow, think about where you are going to put it, so that it does not block other people's paths or the road. Make sure it will not cause problems when it melts. Piling snow over gullies or drains may stop melting snow from draining away.
• Traffic will find it difficult to stop quickly in icy conditions, so make yourself visible if working near a road and do not take unnecessary risks in the road.
• It's much easier to clear fresh snow than hard packed - start as early as possible.
• Clear a small path down the middle of the area to be cleared first, so you have a safe surface to walk on.
• Spread some salt on the area you have cleared to prevent ice forming. Remember salt can be washed away and you may need to repeat salt spreading. Ordinary domestic table salt or dishwasher salt will work – bulk bags of salt can be purchased locally. There are several grit bins located throughout Orkney for self-help. A full list of these can be found in the Council’s Winter Service Plan. If you notice a grit bin is low in salt, please advise the Council by calling Customer Services on (01856) 873535.
• If there is no salt available, then a little sand or ash can be used to provide grip.
• Particular care and attention should be given to steps and steep slopes - additional salt could be used in these areas to reduce the risk of slipping.
• Take care, use common sense and don't do anything which would be likely to cause harm to others.

In the community

Try to identify family or neighbours who may need an extra helping hand if severe weather strikes and have their phone numbers to hand. Offer to help with grocery shopping or other essential tasks. Clear ice or snow from your and their pathway - remember, ice can make things just as difficult as deep snow for some people to move about.

At work

Whether you’re self-employed, manage a small team or run a large business, checking now that you’re ready for all kinds of severe weather can save a lot of trouble when it arrives.

Ensure that you have appropriate insurance cover for all aspects of your business. Encourage your staff to talk about how severe weather may affect your business and share ideas on how best to avoid disruption.

Some staff may be unable to get to work – make sure you know how you would operate in their absence and consider remote flexible working. Plan ahead and talk to your staff about what ‘essential travel’ means for them and your business.

OIC Updates - alerts from Orkney Islands Council

OIC uses various ways inform the public about service disruptions such as school and barrier closures in severe weather. Social media plays a big role in keeping the Orkney public updated. For example, updates on conditions at the Churchill Barriers are posted on the Council's OIC_Roads Twitter feed. There is also a dedicated OIC School Transport Facebook page. We update weather-related issues as regularly as required in the OIC Updates Facebook page.

Useful links

For further information on the Council’s Winter Services Plan.

Head to the Met Office National Severe Weather Warning Service where folk can subscribe to areas and receive warnings in advance.

Those affected by coastal flooding can subscribe to the floodline service run by SEPA for flood alerts and warnings. The Scottish Flood Forum recently visited Orkney to help make communities more flood resilient and will be returning to carry out free property assessments to see the practical steps that people can take to protect their own properties. There’s still time to register to have a survey carried out on your property if it’s within a flood risk area.

For electricity, regardless of their electricity provider, you can subscribe to power track used by Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks to plot live data on power outages. You can also register as a priority customer to receive assistance during any outage.