Winter Weather

The closure of businesses and offices and the cancellation and postponement of sporting and other events due to winter weather can lead to lost revenue and an overall decrease in productivity. Even if businesses remain open, they may lose revenue if customers are unable to travel due to poor road conditions or employees cannot get to the office. While a loss of power and heat automatically prevents most businesses and offices from operating, the most cited reason for closure of businesses and cancellation of events was poor driving conditions. Read the articles below for some help in planning for and getting through winter weather disruptions.

Here's a winter checklist you can use to help you minimize damage from winter hazards. (Item #1)   Make sure you have your business continuity plan updated to cover winter hazards. (Item #2)   Sick workers can affect your productivity and your profitability; take some steps to help keep your employees well. ((Item #3)  

Last month, Michigan's governor declared Winter Hazards Awareness Week; you, too, can benefit from Michigan's foresight. (Item #4)   Ice and rain can cause winter accidents; make your workplace safer with the tips in this article. (Item #5)   If you're preparing a talk for employees on winter safety, this item might be helpful. (Item #6)  

As always, we look forward to hearing your comments & insights regarding business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like us to cover, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Winter Hazards

Winter weather brings concerns about heat and maximizing its retention, frozen pipes, and access to your place of business. Also included in this list, but not as obvious, are fire and electrical emergencies, since winter weather can delay emergency vehicles or cause a sudden power loss. The following checklist is meant to help you identify the areas of your business that are most susceptible to winter hazards and to suggest ways to minimize damage.
http://www.nvcc.com/pdfs/Winter-Hazards-Checklist.pdf

2. Be prepared for winter weather

Business continuity is often brought into play when big organizations react to a catastrophic event. Yet, such plans should not be the sole preserve of large organizations - small and medium-sized enterprises can find their activities disrupted by events outside their control, too. If unprepared for contingencies, short and long-term damage to the business can be every bit as severe.
http://www.allbusiness.com/science-technology/earth-atmospheric-science-meteorology/15282011-1.html

3. Fighting Cold and Flu Season in the Workplace

Cold and flu season is setting in and the close quarters of the workplace allow coworkers to easily trade germs. Better Business Bureau recommends that business owners take a few simple steps to prevent illnesses from spreading and promote productivity throughout the workplace.
http://central-westernma.bbb.org/article/fighting-cold-and-flu-season-in-the-workplace-23177

4. Winter Hazards Awareness Week

Abrupt changes to weather that come with the usual parade of winter storms are enough to turn enjoyment of the season into tragedy. Melting snow and excessive rain may cause flooding, and ice may cause power outages, roofs to collapse, automobile crashes, and personal injury. To prepare for the winter weather season, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has proclaimed the week of Nov. 8, 2010, as Winter Hazards Awareness Week. Take heed!
http://www.ironmountaindailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/524582/Winter-Hazards-Awareness-Week.html?nav=5004

5. Avoiding hazards this winter

At work, ensuring the office and surroundings is very important as there will probably be hundreds if not thousands of people walking by each day. Ice and rain are going to be the main culprits this winter as usual and precautions must be taken. The first thing to do is to make sure you have enough safety signs to go around warning that the area is slippery. Wet floor signs are obviously a must have this winter and they can be purchased in an array of different styles.
http://www.articlesbase.com/weather-articles/avoiding-hazards-this-winter-1521314.html#ixzz187MAkFRP

6. Preparing for Winter Safety

If you're preparing for winter safety, you face the challenge of relating information that is general and making it personally relevant to your workers. Let's take a look at some safety topics you'll want to cover during the winter season and how you can tailor the information to your own workers and workplace.
http://www.safetyxchange.org/training-and-leadership/preparing-for-winter-safety-talks-part-1-of-2