The Beast from the East of 2018 is set to return this winter with long range forecasts predicting temperatures could plummet below -15°c with prolonged periods of cold weather. If the forecast is right, it means it’s more important than ever to take pre-emptive measures to protect your premises, the public and your employees from the effects of ice and snow.s. If winter maintenance measures are skipped over or missed you could even find yourself liable under the Health and Safety at work Act 1974. So, how can you ensure your business is prepared for anything that this winter throws at us?

Check weather forecasts

Knowing what kind of weather is coming gives you an advantage when protecting your premises against harsh conditions. Keep an eye on the ground temperature, if it falls below 0°c you need to think about gritting or spreading salt in car parks, private roads and walkways. Bear in mind that elevated areas with airflow underneath them, such as the top floor of a car park or a bridge, will freeze before the ground will..

Protect your pipes

Burst pipes can cause a plethora of issues for you and your company. There is not only the cost of repairing the pipe itself, which can be quite expensive, but also the issue of damaged ceilings, needing to redecorate and replacing damaged goods. A burst pipe could leave your business without a permanent premises as leaks could take months to dry properly.

To help protect your pipes against the elements, insulate them with foam or rubber tubes. Leave the heating on overnight or through weekends if it’s due to be very cold, to ensure that your pipes don’t freeze.

Service your boiler

Freezing temperatures can put a lot of strain on your boiler as it has to work twice as hard to keep the temperatures comfortable. It is important to have an annual boiler service to avoid parts failing in the winter.

Spreading grit and salt

When the ground temperature is set to drop below zero you need to ensure you are gritting the areas of your premises used by the public and employees. The spreader you use to deposit your choice of ice melting compound can greatly affect the time and manpower spent on preparing the ground for a frost. Check out the small guide below to see which spreader would suit your premises.

Large car parks and commercial grounds

The Sno-Way RVB10 is a 336kg capacity vehicle-mounted winter spreader designed for use in commercial snow and ice removal. It is designed to be mounted from a receiver or the UTV bed. It features 3 patented parts that are designed to ensure the operator can spread any ice or snow management material with a consistent pattern and at a proper speed with no loss of valuable salt and grit products.

Using a spreader dramatically reduces the amount of time taken spreading grit or salt as well as protecting employees from the cold and saving staff time.

Medium sized premises

The Sno-Way Model 4 is a tailgate spreader with a 135kg capacity hopper, making it ideal for small to medium-sized salt and grit spreading operations such as pathways, driveways, commercial yards and car parks.

Smaller organisations

The Spyker Ergo-Pro broadcast spreader boasts a wide range of professional features including a steel carving blade to easily separate dense materials such as Ice Melt and bagged salt. Designed with people in mind, the Ergo-Pro has an ergonomically designed handle that adjusts for operators to reduce fatigue. This spreader is perfect to use on pavements, small car parks and hard to reach areas.