Prepare Your Business for Winter: Expert Tips on Gritting and Snow Clearance

With the UK experiencing huge disruption from extreme winter weather in recent years, the subject of winter contingency planning is a hot topic, and not only for local authorities – businesses need to be concerned too. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) estimates that winter costs the UK economy between £600m to £1bn a day!! This is a staggering amount, but what can businesses realistically do to be ready?

As an absolute minimum, businesses should have a well-planned winter maintenance services strategy, which includes plans for winter gritting and snow clearance. This can make a significant difference in preventing business disruptions and ensuring the safety of employees and visitors. By being proactive, you can avoid accidents, reduce downtime, and keep your business running smoothly, even when the weather turns icy.

Why Planning Ahead is Essential for Winter Maintenance

Planning ahead is critical when it comes to winter weather. It is important to start preparations well in advance, rather than waiting for the first frost or snowfall. By establishing a robust commercial gritting and snow clearance plan early (ideally in the summer months), you can reduce the risks associated with icy conditions, such as slips and falls, business interruptions, and even legal liabilities.

The key to success lies in a robust winter maintenance plan, which should be embedded into your overall health and safety policy. It should outline clear actions for handling adverse weather conditions, ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to maintain safety and business continuity during the winter months.

If you do not already have a winter maintenance plan in place, then OUTCO can help you develop this.  With over 20 years of winter maintenance heritage and UK wide coverage, OUTCO has a reputation for being a highly reliable provider of quality gritting and snow clearance services.

The Value of Outsourcing Winter Services

This first step to consider when developing your winter plan is to undertake a thorough site risk assessment. This will establish all the areas on your site that need gritting and also help you to further identify any key high-risk areas like entrances, car parks, loading bays, and walkways.

The benefits of employing the expert services of a winter maintenance organisation like OUTCO go well beyond the planning stages. Outsourcing your winter services gives you absolute certainty as to when and where to grit. With OUTCO you also will be safe in the knowledge that highly accurate and localised weather monitoring is in place to anticipate snow or icy conditions in order to deploy the appropriate winter gritting and snow clearance measures in a timely fashion.

There is more to winter gritting than first meets the eye, and it requires experienced, trained staff to execute correctly. Clear communication and preparedness will make the difference between a smooth response to snow and ice and one that results in delays and safety issues. Again, employing the services of an experienced winter maintenance company will pay dividends in the long run.

Proactive Winter Gritting is for Everyone

Smaller companies are often more affected by adverse weather due to issues such as staff absences. If two people can’t make it into work for a company that has only four employees, it’s a far bigger issue than for one with hundreds of staff. That’s why all businesses need winter contingency plans: if you own a small business take special care to determine whether your staff can make it to work and work safely when onsite, or explore options for remote working where possible.

For larger organisations, such as major retailers, the challenge of keeping outdoor spaces safe for both customers and staff can be more complex. Beyond their own immediate activities, the challenge extends to supporting business continuity for their wider supply chain. For example, it is important that logistics partners also remain unaffected by adverse weather conditions to avoid delays in the movement of goods. Efficient commercial gritting and snow clearance services become crucial across the board to help keep things flowing.

Proactive Winter Planning is Key

A well-executed winter maintenance services plan is essential for keeping outdoor estates safe and operational during the cold months. A combination of proactive winter gritting, snow clearance, and effective weather monitoring ensures that businesses can minimise the impact of icy conditions.

Investing in outsourced commercial gritting and snow clearance services not only protects your site from the risks of ice and snow but also keeps your business fully operational throughout the winter. By taking a proactive approach, you’ll keep employees, customers, and visitors safe while maintaining the efficiency of your operations, no matter what the weather brings.

For expert winter gritting and snow clearance services, contact OUTCO today at 0800 0432 911 to learn how our 20 years of winter maintenance experience can help you stay ahead of winter weather challenges.