Winterize Your Facility

Before the harshness of winter hits, here are a few tips to prepare for the worst. A little preparation can help you get through winter with as little damage or wear and tear as possible.

Heating System
You will want to maintain your indoor temperatures in order for your equipment and employees to function optimally. If you do your own maintenance, now is the time to look for worn or damaged parts and clean out accumulated dust or dirt. If you use a service, schedule a cleaning. If you have generators, make sure they’re operational and ready to take over if needed.

Outdoor Machinery
For any machines that need to operate outside in the cold:

• Make sure your equipment has enough gas.
• Fluids may need to be changed or topped off.
• Remember that some machines need to run a while to warm up, so plan for this extra time in your daily winter routines.

Facility Exteriors
Check your parking lot and look for any damage that will be exacerbated due to ice and snow and have it repaired now. Check your trees and take down any broken or cracked branches, as those are likely to cause trouble should you get a snow or ice storm. Look for branches that may have grown over power lines and trim them back. Once winter sets in, this kind of work can be difficult to do.

Emergency Winter Storm Plan.

• Decide who is responsible for keeping your sidewalks and entryways clean.
• Do you have a power outage backup plan? Decide ahead of time at what point your facility will shut down, and under what conditions you will continue working.
• Ensure your employees understand these guidelines, and review any policies about missing work due to bad weather.
• All manuals and emergency plans should be in easy-to-find locations—even if you lose power—and have copies in multiple locations.

Incase Of Emergency
Keep calm and collected. When there is more than your team can handle, call in the experts. Cousino Medical Services is available 24/7 to help. 

Taking a little time to prepare for winter can save you thousands of dollars and keep your facility up and running all winter long.

---