Assessing your company’s emergency preparedness is an essential step towards ensuring that your company remains profitable. While concerns such as fires and medical issues are critical, you can’t forget about preparing your business for extremely cold temperatures.

Secure Your Heating Source

Long before winter starts, make sure that you have a heating source. If you’re in a remote area, consider installing a heating system that can operate separately from your nearest city’s power grid. For example, invest in underground tank installation Westchester County NY so that you always have access to the oil you need to heat your building. Another approach is to purchase self-sufficient energy sources such as generators for backup purposes only. Either method is fine as long as it is reliable.

Assess Your Water Pipes

When temperatures drop quickly, the water in your pipes freezes, sometimes causing so much expansion and pressure that the metal bursts. This leads to flooding, expensive repair bills, and water shortages. To avoid this unpleasant situation, have your water pipes inspected by a plumber every year. On particularly cold nights, leave your faucets running just a bit to decrease the chances of freezing. Keep bottled water for drinking and hygiene purposes in case you lose water but still need to work. Finally, check your insurance company’s policy on water damage to see if you need to save extra money for potential repair costs.

Check Your Insulation

Ideally, the inside of your store is much warmer than the exterior during the winter thanks to your insulation. Most types of insulation last for up to 100 years, but if your insulation is ripped or out of position, then it doesn’t do its job. Feel each wall, especially exterior ones, for drafts, and if you suspect that the insulation isn’t efficient, cut a small hole in the drywall to inspect it.

Decide on Your Leave Policy

At what point do you decide to close your business because of cold weather? Having a policy in place helps you make decisions on days when it’s snowy or icy. Consider how long and dangerous you and your employees’ commutes are, and calculate how much profit you lose each day. Don’t be afraid to modify your plan for unusual circumstances, but it helps to think about these issues ahead of time.

Get your business ready for cold weather now so that the first winter storm doesn’t take you by surprise.