United Fire Group Inc.
09/17/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Top 3 tips a business owner can use to prepare for winter weather
By Jason Rushman, UFG Senior Risk Control Consultant
Help prevent frozen pipesby:
It takes time to plan for what winter weather might throw at you. Just like you'd put together a winter preparedness checklist for home, late summer into early fall is a great time to prepare your business for the effects of upcoming snow, ice and freezing temps. Prioritizing steps to get ready for winter could help keep your business running smoothly and prevent costly insurance claims that may cause operations to slow down or even stop while you wait on repairs.
As an experienced risk control consultant, it's my goal to help businesses stay strong by seeing and addressing exposures that pose a risk to daily operations. After partnering with numerous companies over the years, I have easy-to-remember tips to help you winterize buildings and grounds.
Here's my list of the top three tips a business owner can use to prepare for winter weather:
That's why it's important to inspect roof drains, scuppers, gutters and downspouts to remove any blockages or make repairs ahead of winter. This way, ice dams will be less likely to form and water may not have a chance to seep into your building.
And just in case flooding becomes a concern in the spring due to winter's heavy snows, it's probably a good idea to take precautions sooner rather than later to protect any valuables like tools, machinery or other equipment.
As an experienced risk control consultant, it's my goal to help businesses stay strong by seeing and addressing exposures that pose a risk to daily operations. After partnering with numerous companies over the years, I have easy-to-remember tips to help you winterize buildings and grounds.
Here's my list of the top three tips a business owner can use to prepare for winter weather:
1. Remember the roof.
The adage "out of sight, out of mind" rings true, so don't forget about the parts of your building that you can't easily see, especially the rooftop. The weight of packed snow and ice can sometimes cause structural damage. Melting snow and ice accumulations could cause water intrusion into your building or slide off the roof, which may injure a passerby.That's why it's important to inspect roof drains, scuppers, gutters and downspouts to remove any blockages or make repairs ahead of winter. This way, ice dams will be less likely to form and water may not have a chance to seep into your building.
And just in case flooding becomes a concern in the spring due to winter's heavy snows, it's probably a good idea to take precautions sooner rather than later to protect any valuables like tools, machinery or other equipment.
Related reading: 3 easy steps to prepare your business for a hurricane or severe storm
2. Service slick surfaces.
Give attention to parking lots, driveways, steps and sidewalks by formulating a plan for routinely clearing snow and treating icy spots outside. Include slippery inside areas in your schedule too, such as floors and stairs that can become treacherous with tracked-in snow and ice sludge. Do your best to stop slips and falls before they happen.
If you take care of servicing these areas yourself, be sure to keep a weather-related maintenance log for easy tracking of tasks. And if you hire outside contractors to help, ensure a written risk transfer agreement is in place that may cover your company in the event of faulty workmanship or negligence from the other party. Your insurance agent, attorney or legal counsel should be able to walk you through whether a risk transfer agreement may be right for your business arrangements.
If you take care of servicing these areas yourself, be sure to keep a weather-related maintenance log for easy tracking of tasks. And if you hire outside contractors to help, ensure a written risk transfer agreement is in place that may cover your company in the event of faulty workmanship or negligence from the other party. Your insurance agent, attorney or legal counsel should be able to walk you through whether a risk transfer agreement may be right for your business arrangements.
3. Prevent frozen pipes.
The risk of losing heat or power for a few hours (or even a few days) during winter blizzards or storms becomes a concern as furnace systems work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature inside and blustery winds pummel overhead power lines outside. Those fridged temps and cold snaps can wreak havoc on a building's plumbing. Pipes can easily freeze, burst and become a damaging mess that interrupts your daily business routine.Help prevent frozen pipesby:
- Checking the condition of seals around doors and windows and fixing weak spots.
- Covering exposed pipes with a sleeve, applying heat tape or cable if appropriate.
- Looking for any insulation improvements you could make.
- Inspecting your building for holes or cracks and filling them.
- Investing in a portable generator, if it suits your business needs, in case power or heat is out for a long time.
You can't control winter weather, but you can control some of the risks it poses to your business.
Jack Frost has the potential to give anyone trouble from time to time, and insurance is there if bad luck strikes. But the downtime involved in putting the pieces back together, and added costs of deductibles and other expenses, can sometimes burden a company's bottom line. When possible, it's usually better for a business to prevent an occurrence than to cure the aftermath. With a little pre-planning and helping hands from your insurance carrier's risk control team, you'll get ahead of winter whiplash.
If UFG is your carrier, be sure to let our UFG Risk Control team know what's on your mind as the cold months settle in. Send us an email at [email protected].