Many people have a plan in place for when they are snowed in at home, but what if your place of business is hit by a massive winter storm? Are you ready to do battle? Here are some suggestions to help prepare you for combating the elements before and after a snowstorm hits:
Before Snowy Weather Hits
- Service your heating system before winter begins
- Make sure you have adequate amounts of fuel on hand
- Inspect and maintain your building to minimize openings
- Fix windows and doors to make sure they close tightly
- Caulk, insulate and weather strip exterior doors
- Close and seal dampers and vents
- Inspect your roof for damage or deterioration and repair
- Check roof drains and downspouts and clean out accumulated debris to prevent clogging of drainage system
- Look for water that could be pooling on roof and eliminate any cause
- Make sure your emergency program covers winter emergencies including excessive snow
During Snow Accumulation
- Remove snow in layers uniformly across the roof to prevent unbalanced loads that could cause collapse
- Avoid making snow piles on the roof while you attempt to remove it
- Clear snow and ice from storm drains and catch basins
- Prevent roof cover damage by exercising extreme caution with removal equipment such as shovels, ice spades or snow blowers
- Remember not to completely clear roof surface if melting snow and water can freely flow to drains
- Never send an employee onto the roof once snow approaches maximum depth capacity
- Only remove snow during a storm if the forecast calls for dangerous accumulations
Make sure your business is prepared to deal with the next blizzard. Of course, there’s always the possibility that damage to your property will occur at some point in the future. For that reason, it’s important to have proper insurance protection in place to cover any loss. Contact us any time for a full coverage review.