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The winter months can present new hazards and challenges that need to be dealt with such as cold temperatures, ice and reduced indoor ventilation. Make sure that you consider these seasonal maintenance tasks in order to keep your workplace safe, presentable and comfortable.
Grit Outdoor Areas
Icy walkways and parking lots can cause accidents and injuries that you may end up being liable for. Invest in some winter management equipment such as grit bins, snow ploughs and grit spreaders in order to keep your premises ice-free. It’s often worth following weather reports so that you can forecast when it’s likely to be a freezing cold night – this allows you to lay down grit the evening before and prevent ice from forming. Larger parking lots may require hiring a gritting company.
Minimize Wet Floors Indoors
Employees, customers and other visitors may end up trudging in water and leaves from outdoors in the winter months. This can lead to wet and slippery floors inside your workplace that could also lead to injuries and lawsuits. Consider laying down a heavy duty doormat near the entrance to your workplace – this will help catch water and encourage visitors to wipe their feet. Lobbies and corridors leading to external doors may need to be regularly mopped throughout the day to keep them dry. It’s also worth putting up some wet floor signs to warn people to tread carefully.
Service Your Workplace Heating System
The most common time for heating systems to break down is winter. This is simply due to the heavier usage that heating systems experience during these months. Not having any heating in your workplace can be a nightmare – it could become too cold for employees to comfortably work in your office and customers will have a negative experience that could lead to bad reviews. Service your heating each year – ideally just before winter arrives – so that you can spot any wear and tear, and get repairs done before a breakdown occurs.
Inspect Pipes and Gutters
Pipes and gutters can freeze up during the winter months. This can cause them to burst and overflow, leading to water damage and even foundation problems. Walk around the perimeter of your workplace building and check that gutters aren’t overflowing or that external pipes aren’t cracked. Getting gutters annually cleaned out and insulating external pipes can often help to prevent future problems occurring. Make sure to repair broken pipes or gutters promptly.
Watch Out For Mould Growth
Because of the colder temperature, many workplaces keep all windows shut during the winter months, which can lead to poor ventilation. This increases the risk of problems like mould growth – which doesn’t just look ugly, but can be a major health hazard. Make sure to treat mould as soon as you spot it. For severe cases of mould, it may be worth calling in a mould remediation company. Make sure that you understand the source of the mould – this fungus typically thrives in damp conditions, so check that there isn’t a leak somewhere.
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