Common Winter Hazards for Businesses

3/22/2021 (Permalink)

Take note of these common winter hazards so you can better protect your Brooklyn home!

Extreme cold, snow, ice and freezing rain can all have serious consequences for your employees, your property and your business operations. Water accumulated from melting ice and snow, has the chances of slips and falls for employees and visitors. Staying aware of these risks throughout the season and understanding how to avoid them will help keep your property and employees safe, and keep your business running without interruption. To reduce the chance of accidents, injuries and property damage, here are the most common hazards colder weather brings for businesses, along with the ways to prevent them.

1. Power Outages

Most cold-season power failures happen when winter storms bring freezing rain, sleet, and high winds, damaging power lines and equipment. Without a backup power source, not only are you impacted, but your business can suffer from dampness, damaging walls, floors and plumbing.

Generators are a key component of business continuity for companies of all sizes. They not only keep business up and running during power outages, but also keep key building systems running so your business doesn’t deal with water damage.

2. Frozen Pipes

Cold temperatures can cause water pipes to freeze. Freezing in a pipe creates a lot of pressure inside the pipe and can cause the pipe to burst and likely lead to serious flooding, which can cause a lot of damage to a business in very little time.

The best prevention against frozen pipes is to keep them warm enough to stay above the freezing point.

• Seal openings & insulate pipes
• Maintain temperature & power in the building
• Monitor facility systems & detect problems early

3. Roof Damage & Collapse

Heavy snow can pose a serious risk to roofs and cause some to collapse, creating dangerous conditions. Once the accumulated snow and ice load reaches the “danger zone,” it runs the risk of compromising the roof’s structural integrity, potentially leading to collapse.

When snow buildup occurs, use a roof rake with an extended handle to pull snow of the roof from the safety of the ground. Removing roof snow can also prevent ice dams. Roof snow removal can be dangerous it would be better if you hire a professional snow removal service.

If a winter does leave a mark on your business, we recommend you take action immediately. Call us SERVPRO of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, small or big, we are here to assist you.