As winter sets in, the temperature drops more and more. Everyone needs to prepare for that, and entrepreneurs are no different. You’ll need to protect your business in winter to make sure it keeps operating without any problems. A lot of this revolves around safety.
By putting the time and effort into it, you’ll keep your workers, customers, and other third-parties safe on your premises. You’ve no reason not to put the effort in.
As obvious as that is, it seems harder to put into practice. You mightn’t know where to start, other than making sure your premises is a warm place to work. While you’ll have to put more time and effort into it, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
It should just be a matter of taking the right steps, and you shouldn’t have much to worry about. Seven of these should help a lot more than others. They’ll be more than worth it.
Protect Your Business in Winter: 7 Steps to Take
1. Seal Drafts & Air Leaks
You wouldn’t want the cold outside to make its way into your business, so it’s worth taking measures to make sure it doesn’t. This doesn’t just mean keeping windows and doors clean and turning the heating on. You’ll also need to take care of any drafts and air leaks around your business.
These are usually found around your doors and windows, where holes and cracks can often turn up. Deal with these as soon as you can. You’ll make sure there aren’t any drafts to worry about, helping to keep your business safe from a noticeable drop in temperature.
2. Get Rid of Snow & Ice
The winter months normally bring a decent bit of ice, and even a bit of snow. While these can be great to look at, they also pose a safety risk when you’re working. You’ll need to deal with them before any accidents happen. Make sure you do this whenever there’s any ice or snow.
For the ice, it could just be a matter of putting down some salt to melt it. Make sure to dry it off. At the same time, a cordless snow blower helps with the snow. Clear out any areas employees or customers will be using.
3. Protect Sensitive Equipment
Your business could use quite a bit of equipment, and some of this might be sensitive to the temperature. They’ll need to be within a certain temperature range to function the way it’s supposed to. Make sure it’s within that range at all times to prevent any issues with it.
Don’t overlook humidity and moisture in the air while you’re at it. This can wreak havoc on any kind of equipment, causing breakdowns and even a few potential safety threats. Protective covers and similar measures can help to protect against this, making it more than worth the time and effort.
4. Insulate Pipes & Water Lines
Your business premises will have more than a few pipes and water lines, and many of these can be exposed to the weather. For most of the year, this isn’t a problem. During the winter, though, the temperature drop could lead to these pipes freezing over. You’ll have to prevent that.
Insulating your pipes and water lines is the best way to do this. It’ll help make sure the pipes don’t freeze over or burst, saving you a lot of time and hassle. You’ll prevent more than a few issues, and it shouldn’t even take much time to get done.
5. Clear Gutters & Downspouts
Your gutters and downspouts are supposed to drain water away from your business. This is vital during the winter months, when there’s a lot of snow and rain. For the gutters and downspouts to actually do that, they’ll need to be cleared out regularly. This prevents any buildup that could prevent water from draining.
It’ll also prevent any water from freezing over and causing more damage during the winter months. When you’re clearing out the gutters and downspouts, it’s worth looking for any signs of damage. By fixing anything that pops up, you’ll prevent a few safety risks and further damage later on.
6. Maintain Heating Systems
Your business will naturally use its heating system quite a bit more during the winter months. It helps make sure your business is comfortable to work in, while preventing cold-related illnesses. As recommended as this is, it means making sure your heating systems are well-maintained when you’re using them.
Give them a once-over before using them to make sure there isn’t any damage or wear and tear. Once it’s working properly, it’s a matter of inspecting it regularly for any wear and tear. Don’t overlook any mechanical areas with this, as you wouldn’t want the system breaking down later on.
7. Don’t Neglect the Roof
It’s natural to focus on the most commonly used areas around your business when you’re protecting it during the winter. Don’t overlook a few key areas while you’re at it. The roof is one of the more notable, and it’s worth making sure this is as well-looked after as possible.
Snow could build up on it and cause some damage, depending on the weight of the snow. At a minimum, you risk water damage around your business premises. Take the time to get rid of the snow before it builds up. Take care of any other damage while you’re at it.
Protect Your Business in Winter: Wrapping Up
You should already know you’ll have to protect your business in winter. You’ll have to do it year-round, but you could need to put more time and effort into it during the winter months. The drop in temperature and change in weather make this a priority, especially when it comes to safety.
While you’ll know that, actually putting the time and effort into it seems overwhelming. This shouldn’t be as difficult as you could think, though. It’s just a matter of taking the right steps, and you should have more of an impact than you would’ve thought.
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