Heavy weather

When contacting a risk management company it is vital to engage with them early, and to be honest about expectations and needs. It’s always worth asking for quotes from several companies to assess what support they offer and at what cost. Cover that includes major snow events is crucial for many businesses, as we are seeing a pattern of increasing unpredictability in winter weather, with more and more facilities being affected by heavy snowfall. Working within a budget is important, but organisations should be willing to make the necessary investment to ensure the right levels of support are in place.

When outsourcing winter services, it can be daunting to trust others with the responsibility of managing your facility. It’s vital to take time to discuss the site’s specific requirements, but also to assess whether the company you are considering will be a partner in supporting your business during potentially difficult times. Busy FMs, already tasked with so many different activities, need reassurance that their partner can fully manage and keep the effects of the weather at bay. Working together, the FM and winter maintenance provider need to fully understand the various aspects of the site, which will include knowing the busy periods. Spreading salt is best done before cold weather.

Two-way communication and a strong relationship is vital. The best results are achieved through a good partnership and clear, consistent engagement, alongside proactive contracts that ensure the weather is monitored, service is delivered, and evidence provided of any site visits. Clients should have access to 24/7 support during the winter months as well as a dedicated account manager. Account managers should be focused year round and work with clients from season to season. Their role is to take a personal interest in learning how each facility or business operates, and to continually review the service provided in order to improve year on year.

PULLING THE TRIGGER
Daily, accurate weather forecasting is an integral part of a winter maintenance business. Understanding what our own forecast is showing us and being able to interpret the information will help us to make marginal or low-confidence forecasting decisions. The trigger for service activation can be determined on a site-by-site basis, with the industry standard being a forecast of zero degrees and below.

Our forecasts include a traffic-light system to measure the risk associated with the forecast temperature. The triggers are agreed and set for individual site requirements in collaboration with the client, and activation is automatic. Clients need to know why they pulled the trigger and what the result will be.

When forecast triggers are breached we attend the site overnight, sending notifications to clients that their site has been gritted according to the contract. While our proactive gritting client contracts have priority, we can also provide reactive snow clearance and gritting. A service like this enables clients to demonstrate best practice, comply with health and safety requirements, and better manage the impact of adverse weather.

It’s important to keep staff informed of what is happening during periods of harsh weather. They need to be kept notified of site access issues, and be ready to switch to home working if practicable. We advise clients to have critical members of staff in place – people who can be on hand quickly or who live close by. When the weather becomes severe, your staff need to know what is expected of them. A designated winter champion would be responsible for keeping everyone informed, working closely with the winter maintenance partner.

The unprecedented snowpocalypse of February-March 2018 highlighted that extreme weather can hit at any time, and that preparation is key for ensuring the continued smooth operation of the business. If the ‘Beast from the East’ has taught us one thing, it’s always be prepared for the unexpected.