7 Ways to Protect Your Business from Winter Weather Damage

During winter, it’s important for businesses of all types to minimise risk and liability exposure due to adverse weather conditions. In this article, we highlight some of the key steps businesses can take to reduce risk, helping protect customers, employees and premises.

1. Develop a cold weather plan for your business
   Developing a cold whether plan is a key first step for every business. This should be an overall maintenance plan for buildings and equipment, as well as identifying key roles and responsibilities in an emergency cold weather situation. Make sure your business keeps up to date with sever weather warnings through sources such as the Met Office or Highways England websites.
   
   
2. Reduce the risk of slips and falls
   Removing snow and ice from paths, roadways and high-traffic pedestrian routes will reduce any injuries from slips and falls for both employees and customers. Planning is important too, so make sure your business orders any grit or salt needed in advance to reduce injury risk.
   
   
3. Prepare for power outage disruption
   A power outage can be extremely disruptive – and costly for a business. Lack of power can lead to lost productivity, an inability accept payments or being unable to contact customers, so it’s a good idea to have an emergency plan ready to go in the event of power disruption.
   Each business will require different mitigations, but think about installing a back-up generator or having an alternative temporary power source. For a business that depends on IT equipment, it can also be a good idea to fit surge protection devices to reduce the damage risk from black-outs of over voltage surges when the power is restored.
   
   
4. Mitigate the hazards of bad weather driving
   If employees drive fleet or company vehicles as part of their role, it’s important to make sure that all vehicles are winter ready. This is for employee safety and business protection against liability. These winter safety checks and measures include: Tyres Battery Heaters Brakes Fluid levels Equipping staff with tools such as snow scraper, torch and first aid kit Training staff in winter driving techniques and accident response As many people know, snowfall or serious weather can cause confusion over travel to work. To make this clear, draw up a policy for your organisation that sets out who should come in, and who could work in different locations.
   
   
5. Prevent frozen pipes and thaw water damage
   Low temperatures can lead to physical damage from freezing, or indirect damage which can occur when the pipes are thawing. Businesses are often more susceptible to frozen pipes, especially in storage or warehouse areas. Make sure heating systems are regularly inspected and serviced, with temperatures kept about 4°C if possible. It’s also best practice to drain and disconnect water pipes or heating systems in any buildings that are unoccupied. Also check that all stopcocks are working, and that key staff are aware of their location.
   
   
6. Use space heaters safely
   If you need to use a portable heater, follow these important safety tips: - Use electric convector or fan-assisted heaters with thermostatic cut-outs to prevent overheating. - Position heaters on a level surface at least one meter clear of any combustible materials, never leave them operating unattended for any length of time. Make sure they are switched off whenever the building is unoccupied. - Never use electric radiant heaters or paraffin or oil-fired heaters. These can pose a significant fire risk.
   
   
7. Protect the roof, premises and the public
   Snow and ice can also cause damage to premises or the public through issues such as the weight of snow causing the roof to slump, leaking, or injury through falling snow or ice. To help protect your business premises and the public, ensure that you examine roof gutters and downpipes regularly, as well as check for any repairs needed to your business roof.
   
   

   Conclusion

   Conclusion Winter temperatures, snow and ice and cause damage to business operations, impacting your bottom line. By taking some simple steps, you can mitigate these risks to your business, as well as protecting your employees and customers.