What You Can Do to Prep Your Office for Winter

Is your office ready for winter? If it’s not, it could mean disaster for your company, putting employee health, as well as your profit margin, on the line. Check out these winter facility management tips before it’s too late!Have a plan. First and foremost, you need to make a plan BEFORE any winter weather hits. If you don’t have one already, take some time to evaluate your building. What are the potential risks, dangers and liabilities? What needs to be taken care of before bad weather strikes to prevent any problems that may occur? It’s especially important to check your pipes, air ducts and filters, and electrical system for anything that may need maintenance. These areas can turn into some very expensive problems if you haven’t taken the proper precautions ahead of time. When you know your facilities’ risks, you can improve your structure ahead of time to better prepare for winter weather issues.Protect your floors. Invest in safety mats and rugs for your doorways. This will keep people from tracking in snow, ice and water, keeping them safe from slipping on wet, muddy floors. And as a bonus, wiping all that dirt and grime off your shoes at the entrance will keep it from coming further inside your building, making your floors dirty and susceptible to irreversible damage.Have your gutters cleaned. A few sticks and leaves in your gutters may not sound like a big deal, but the debris could cause gutter clogs which will prevent rain and melting snow from flowing off your roof. Too much water on your roof could cause leakage into your building, water damage, or even a compromised and dangerous roof ready to cave at any minute.Disinfect the office. Flu season is upon us! One of the most important things people forget to do to prepare their office for winter is to disinfect everything to prevent the possible spread of dangerous germs. Desks, keyboards and doorknobs are the first places to address. And don’t forget the public spaces like the kitchen and bathrooms! It is also a good idea to leave disinfecting wipes around the office for people to use throughout the day.Whatever your facility’s winter needs are, OpenWorks can help you create a customized plan to get your office ready for winter. Contact us today to find out what you should be doing before winter comes knocking at your doors — and the rest of your building, too!