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COVER STORY


WHAT SHOULD YOU BE ASKING?


• What happens when the temperature plummets to sub- zero and the severe weather threatens the (safe) running of our organisation?


• Are the car parks and pathways safe for staff, customers and visitors?


• Do we have a reliable winter gritting program in place to make sure the property and business are as risk-free as they can be?


• Or, are we going to look at saving costs and taking a gamble?


“THE RISK OF December that year, the average


UK temperature was just -1˚C, the coldest since records began. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), this ‘Big Freeze’ cost the economy between £600 million and £1 billion a day.


It's not just about safety and lost revenue, it's also about an organisation's reputation. Who wants to be in the public eye for a possible slip or trip on their premises, which may lead to an injury or - worse still - a fatality?


RESTRICTED OR UNSAFE ACCESS TO YOUR PREMISES POSES A


MASSIVE THREAT TO YOUR WORKFORCE, SUPPLIERS AND VISITORS.”


business in question. An ex-prison officer who can no longer walk after slipping on ice was awarded a £500,000 payout in 2015.


Retail outlets, offices, hospitals etc. have a Duty of Care to ensure that premises are kept safe and free from hazards – as far as is reasonably practicable. Failure to take the appropriate actions to reduce the risk of the public slipping and falling could be considered to be a breach of their Duty of Care, and possible negligence.


In today’s ‘compensation culture society’, it is well-known that if you slip on ice in a car park, for example, and sustain an injury, you may be entitled to make a claim against the


www.tomorrowsfm.com


The HSE’s Approved Code of Practice for the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations explicitly refers to snowy and icy conditions, noting that ‘dutyholders need to minimise the risks from snow and ice’.


Figures from the Hospital Episode Statistics for England show there were 2,919 admissions to hospital in 2014/15 as a result of people falling


over on snow or ice; the number of these were connected to workplaces is unknown.


With this in mind, we often question why certain sectors leave winter planning to the last minute, or not at all. Proactive, early planning will ensure you have the time to engage the right partner to deliver a winter maintenance solution that is right for your business. Can any industry really afford not to adequately provide for the safety of their staff, customers and visitors?


Whether we like to admit it or not, frost, ice and snow — even if they don’t last long — are predictable features of the British winter. To protect those audiences highlighted, there is a real need to plan ahead before the first ‘unexpected’ signs of winter appear – don’t leave it until you are scraping ice off the car in the morning before thinking about winter safety. Planning ahead of time won’t increase costs to an organisation, but when needed, it can make the difference between remaining operational, and ensuring their exposure is minimised.


In the UK, we know that we’re never too many days away from a cold snap and the summer months are the perfect time to plan winter safety regimes. Don't take any chances!


ABOUT DE-ICE De-Ice winter solutions include daily


weather monitoring, a full audit trail of completed visits and a dedicated account manager.


De-Ice can help prepare for, and respond to, extreme weather by implementing an effective, efficient and affordable winter maintenance plan – leaving you to get on with running your business.


www.de-ice.co.uk TOMORROW’S FM | 21


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