There are best practices that your company should follow over the colder months to minimise disruption and ensure as little downtime as possible. We’re pleased that over two decades of facilities management experience has given us a vast range of insight into how best to take care of a commercial building.
The following 6 tips are some straightforward ideas for looking after your building this winter.
1. Keep Your Company Car Parks Maintained
When it comes to applying best practices for your commercial building during winter, it all starts with maintaining your external spaces. Look after your car parks this winter to minimise downtime. A lot of your employees likely travel to and from work through their vehicles, so be prepared with a grit bit and a plan for gritting when things get icy.
We can keep you covered over the winter months with our gritting services. Get in touch with our team today.
Consider how you can keep your car park and entrance ways clean. Employees can be prone to drag in large amounts of dust and dirt at the bottom of their shoes. That dust, dirt, and mud can then get transferred to the office floors. This gets even worse when the weather gets bad over the winter. Therefore, try to keep your external spaces clean and free of dirt as much as possible to reduce how often this happens.
2. Regular air-con and heating maintenance
Let’s next look inside the office and how things can be maintained there. Of course employees and visitors will be reluctant to open windows in the colder and wetter weather, so the air inside your commercial building can become stale and stuffy over winter.
Properly functioning heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are crucial during the colder months. You need professional and regular maintenance check to ensure your system is in top shape. Some examples of what’s needed are; clean air filters, inspect for leaks, and confirm if the thermostats are working. Well-maintained air conditioning and heating systems keeps your air quality high and our office warm.
3.. Clean Your Windows Regularly
Your windows will go through some tough conditions in the winter. Office windows can get stained from the constant exposure to wind, rain and snow.
Keeping your windows clean ensures your office stays looking inviting for employees and visitors. Winter window cleaning is especially important when the windows face out to the entrance or just street-level in general. Keep in mind that potential clients will be able to see your business in operation, so it is important to make a professional first impression before they even enter the front door. If you wish to do this yourself, a simple microfibre cloth can easily wipe residue and dirt on your window so long as a the right cleaning solution is used.
If your windows ae stained or need cleaning on the outside, then you need professional assistance to keep the natural light shining in and your building looking presentable.
4. Check your thermostat and keep the right temperature
For a safe and comfortable environment, the temperature in your office needs to be not too hot and too cold. It’s ideal to have a thermostat that’s linked to your air conditioning, and it should clearly display the air temperature that the HVAC is trying to achieve.
Ensuring a steady temperature is maintained is very important. Without the right set-up you’ll struggle to find the right temperature for your commercial space and could be stuck with an uncomfortable, and maybe even unhealthy, temperature.
You won’t be surprised to learn that the temperature in which your office is set can have a significant impact on your employees and their performance. With the wrong temperature, studies have shown that employees experience more issues performing cognitive tasks. Keep things running smoothly this winter.
5. Repair broken equipment before it’s too late
If your boiler breaks or your heating units have parts that need replacing, the best thing to do is fix the problem as soon as it is identified.
During winter, it’s understandable that your place of work will often need a lot more heat than normal, and if your boiler or air handling unit needs fixing, your office or workplace could be left in the cold. This will make yourself, your staff, and your visitors uncomfortable, and may be a health and safety violation depending on how much the temperature has dropped.
You can often tell if there’s an issue with your building. Even when the heating seems to be working as expected, strange noises and smells are the early warning that there’s about to be a bigger problem. Once you’ve identified the issue, the best thing to do is to get in touch with an technician or your facilities management provider, and get the issue sorted sooner rather than later.
We can help with air conditioning, heating, and boiler repair. Speak to our team if you have any concerns.
6. Be Prepared
In general, you need to consider the ways in which your regular working day can be disrupted over winter. Have emergency procedures in place if your office isn’t able to open as usual. Make sure all staff can be contacted if the office or work site is inaccessible. Have back-up plans and alternative work arrangements prepared to cause as little disruption as possible.
On-site maintenance plans will need to be in place in cases of the weather taking an extreme turn. Prepare for winter storms by having an emergency kit on hand. Include items like flashlights, batteries, blankets, and non-perishable food. Make sure employees know where these supplies are located and review your emergency evacuation plan.