Weather warnings are expected for the rest of the working week, as the so-called Beast from the East continues to wreak havoc in parts of the UK. Hundreds of schools are shut, and road conditions remain dangerous up and down the country. Amber and yellow warnings have been issued by the Met Office, with London and the South East badly affected.

Some organisations may be considering flexible working for certain staff, particularly with the forecast expecting conditions to worsen in some parts of the country as the week progresses.

Cold-weather related damage to property is to be expected. Some readers will recall the Met Office's warning 12 months ago of plummeting temperatures, when snowy conditions again brought the issue of business resilience to the fore.

FM Global's previously issued five-point plan for businesses looking to mitigate the risks can be reviewed below.


Extreme weather risk: Advice for business (Source: FM Global)

Check for existing damage

Damage caused by extreme instances of wind and rain is often exacerbated by existing faults within a property. Before bad weather arises businesses should check for vulnerabilities, ie. loose material, damage to the roof or walls.
For damage caused by wind, this is often due loose roofing or wall coverings being, “peeled back” as wind gets underneath, causing further damage to roof cover and walls.

For damage caused by rain, this is often due to a build-up of water due to damaged or blocked water removal systems, leading to the roof becoming overloaded resulting in a localised collapse.

Ensure that heating systems and other support systems are operational

In the cold weather that winter can bring, business owners should guarantee that heating systems are operational and that fuel supplies are well stocked.
Heating systems must stay operational to ensure that other support systems are not compromised. If a fire were to occur, frozen piping may mean that sprinkler systems will not operate properly, if at all, resulting in increased damage sustained from the fire.
If heating systems are not operational, businesses could suffer damage throughout their property, as pipes are damaged by ice build-up.
Business owners should also ensure that reserve heating equipment is available for employees, and that antifreeze supplies are on hand for cooling system maintenance.

Regular maintenance

Unless systems are maintained properly, they may not work when bad weather hits. Poor maintenance can weaken the building, making it more susceptible to bad weather and other disasters.
Check fences to see if they are secure
Check that the overall ‘building envelope’ is in good condition
Test trace heating systems regularly
Make sure your doors and windows have secure fastenings

Be prepared to deal with unexpected damage

Not all storms and floods are predictable. However ensuring that systems are in place to deal with unexpected events will mitigate the damage they cause, increasing business resilience.
Know how to cut off utility supplies in case of floods
Have procedures for maintaining adequate heat, especially if power outages occur
Ensure that materials are on hand to mitigate damage to machinery and the property, ie. plastic sheeting to cover valuable items

Plan ahead

Business that don’t plan ahead and have continuity plans in place can be at a disadvantage to their competitors. Market share, profitability and reputation can all be at risk, and businesses must do all they can to limit that risk.
Have employees who regularly monitor weather reports, to give warning of serious weather events
Have back-ups for data to guarantee business continuity if data centres are damaged, or are no longer operational
Have damage mitigation materials on hand, ie. sandbags to divert water from floods

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