by Jerry Mooney
We might spend time protecting our own homes from the heavy weather conditions often associated with winter, but we need to afford the same protection for our business, for the main reason of looking after our employees, or anyone hoping to interface with our firm on a given day. Of course, you cannot dig their cars out of snow, ensure other drivers are safe on the road or a range of expectations that might contribute to complete and total safety. But you can do your part.
With the aid of services like commercial snow and ice management, you can apply a full solution in no time at all. However, it’s important to see what the full scope of care looks like. For that and more, consider our following advice to keep your staff safe this winter:
Grit Paths
Just as you would grit a driveway or expect a public road to be salted to prevent ice buildup and to provide more traction, you should do the same. You are likely on private land, so the public authorities have no need or desire to grit those for you. For this reason, you should ensure that each and every employee driving into your area is met with the same kind of road traction and care that you expected on your way to work. This can prevent accidents and injuries. Be sure not only to do the roads, but the pavements and area outside your office. The less trips and falls the better, as this not only helps the staff you care about, but prevents unnecessary absences.
Icicles
Icicles can be extremely dangerous. Falling at the wrong time can cause injury and even death. This isn’t a case of ‘doing your best to stop this.’ You must stop this, period. Melting them away or knocking them down can be worthwhile to do, especially with the aforementioned professionals. If you’re having trouble doing this, then simply placing signs around the building informing staff to look up with care before standing under a building canopy should inform them well.
Heating
Keep your offices warm. Everyone feels the heat differently, but if your staff are freezing their backsides off while trying to work each day, you not only lessen productivity but heighten their chances of catching a cold or worse. There are legal temperatures you have to keep your office at before your staff can legally choose to go home, so be sure to stay within them depending on your country. Also be sure to ventilate while heating, as many bodies in one room and a heater can lead to a relatively stuffy atmosphere.
Reasonable Absences
Some employees might not be able to make it into work. They likely aren’t lying to you. If they cannot dig their car out of the snow, if there’s a pileup on a nearby road, or if they are late because of these issues, don’t be overtly harsh unless detecting an obvious untruth. Accept absences provided they aren’t too egregious. The winter can affect everyone different regardless of morning intention.
With these tips, and placing anti-bacterial hand gel around your offices to prevent colds and illnesses from spending, you should be on your way to protecting your employees from the harshness of winter.
