FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Businesses are being urged to review heating, insulation and environmental control plans for the coming winter, after the Met Office’s latest State of the UK Climate report concluded that weather extremes are increasingly becoming the “new normal” for the UK, with records at both ends of the scale being broken more frequently than at any point in the modern era.
Building services marketplace, HSS ProService Marketplace, is urging organisations to heed the report’s message, as the same volatility that delivered this year’s thermometer busting heatwaves mean sharper swings towards icy winters and severe cold spells are highly likely.
For sectors including construction, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing and facilities management, prolonged periods of cold can place additional pressure on workforce welfare, equipment performance, site operations, curing and drying times, and the protection of temperature-sensitive materials, plant and pipework.
HSS ProService Marketplace is encouraging organisations to assess resilience plans early to avoid disruption should demand for heating and environmental control equipment accelerate as temperatures fall.
Sam Davies, Supply Chain Director at HSS ProService Marketplace, said: “It may feel like the icy chill of winter is a long way off, but the UK’s own climate scientists have just told us that extremes are the new normal and businesses across the UK need to prepare now.
“Whether it is temporary heat to keep construction programmes on track, frost protection for plant and pipework, or heaters to ensure safe and comfortable working conditions for colleagues, winter resilience has to be planned, not played by ear.
“The organisations that treat weather as a boardroom planning issue rather than a seasonal surprise are the ones that keep operating, and remain profitable, when conditions turn.”
Greater winter volatility raises the risk of sudden spikes in demand for temporary heating, drying and environmental control equipment, with severe cold snaps historically tightening availability, extending lead times and driving up costs within days. HSS ProService Marketplace is encouraging organisations to review requirements now, secure contingency plans and assess site resilience before the first freeze arrives.
Davies added: “When extreme weather hits, everyone reaches for the same equipment at the same time, and regardless of planning, availability can evaporate in days.
“The businesses locking in their heating requirements now will have certainty on equipment, lead times and crucially, cost. Those who wait for the forecast to turn risk being left out in the cold, literally and commercially.”
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