01 Feb Winter Safety: How to Fortify Your Business for Low Temperatures
Reprinted from American Alarm
Temperature fluctuations and extreme weather can affect your business in various ways. Slippery conditions can lead to slip and fall incidents, and inclement weather could prevent your employees or customers from reaching your premises.
Extreme cold may cause power outages, burst pipes, and other maintenance issues that could affect your property and inventory. Here are our top winter safety tips for fortifying your business against the challenges brought on by low temperatures.
Prepare your premises
Preparing for cold weather conditions reduces the risk of avoidable incidents, such as slip and fall accidents or maintenance issues.
Purchase salt ahead of a cold snap so you can keep the main walkways in and out of your business clear. If you’re responsible for snow removal, contact a local company and make arrangements ahead of time to protect your points of egress.
Consult with your facilities team to identify and address any issues that could arise during bouts of extreme cold. Ensure pipes are adequately insulated, ventilation ducts are clear, and that your carbon dioxide monitoring systems are functioning correctly.
Develop a winter safety protocol
In truly severe conditions, it may not be safe or realistic for your staff to commute to work. If possible, work with your team to develop a protocol for working from home so you aren’t scrambling to decide whether or not to open the office.
When winter storms are in the forecast, have staff members take essential equipment home with them, so they have what they need to work remotely. Identify how employee roles will shift when working from home. This will help ensure a seamless transition to remote work so you can continue to serve your customers.
Environmental systems
An environmental monitoring system is essential when nobody is on-site to look out for maintenance issues. Extreme temperatures and environmental fluctuations can lead to problems like burst pipes, flooding, and gas leaks which could damage your property and inventory.
An environmental monitoring system can detect moisture, toxic gas, and temperature fluctuations that could be harmful. The system will alert you in real-time when any irregularities are detected, and our central command will dispatch the appropriate response team.
Prolonged cold snaps may create additional maintenance tasks and pose hazards for staff and customers, but you can minimize the impact of cold weather on your business with a plan in place.