As the darker nights begin to close in and the workplace starts to get chillier, we’ve compiled a list of ways you can best prepare your business for the Autumn and Winter months to keep everybody safe, warm and we’ll even highlight a few ways you can save money on your electricity bills, as a business, during the colder months!
Heighten security measures
Many burglaries take place under the cover of the darkness, and with the dark nights being a prominent feature of the UK Autumn and Winter months, it’s an element businesses need to prepare for.
One of the main ways to protect your business against burglaries is through the installation of CCTV cameras across the premises. With a range of internal and external CCTV cameras on offer, we have options to suit all businesses, so you can spot anyone who is wrongfully on the premises, even in the dark!
Having an intruder alarm decreases the chances of theft at your workplace even further, deterring burglars from taking the risk and instead encouraging them to picking a target without a basic security system.
Illuminate your business
With staff, visitors and customers being around the premises in the dark, having external lighting is vital to keeping the area well-lit to avoid any slips, trips or other accidents. It keeps your business visible too, so it can’t be missed when it’s dark!
Across the colder half of the year, as we all know, the hours of daylight become fewer and fewer. Therefore, workplace lighting will be required to be switched on for more hours throughout the day, resulting in a spike in the usage and cost of electricity. For a lighting alternative that uses a whopping 80% less energy, consider making the switch to LED lighting for your workplace. Although it’s a bit of an investment initially, LED bulbs can start saving you money from around a year onwards, depending on certain factors like how often they are used and how many are installed.
Reduce the risk of fire
Statistics show that fires become more common during the winter months, in particular the months of December, January and February. Did you know that heaters alone cause three fires per day throughout the colder months! Heaters obviously offer massive benefits to keeping your staff lovely and warm, but if left too close to any kind of fabric, for too long or if they have become electrically faulty – they can become a huge fire risk!
Similarly, a hot drink is another popular way of keeping yourself warmed up, so it’s likely that the corporate kettle and coffee machine will be on the go almost constantly. It was reported that between 2019 and 2020, a startling 15,702 fires were started in the kitchen; with a large percentage of these fires being caused by faulty appliances. It’s essential that to avoid any workplace fires and electrical injuries, all electrical appliances within the company are regularly tested. A good way to keep on top of electrical testing is by pre-booking scheduled electrical testing and maintenance throughout the year. This keeps appliances more efficient too, in turn saving you more on your energy bills!
Does your business have working fire alarms and emergency escape lighting installed, incase of the unfortunate event of a fire? All business premises must have an ‘appropriate fire detection system’ in place, as stated by current UK fire alarm regulations and emergency lighting is required by law in all occupied business buildings.
Save energy
We previously compiled a list of 5 ways your business can save energy in the workplace, all of which can be used during the Autumn and Winter months.
Need a hand with any electrical design, installation or maintenance to prepare your business premises for the Autumn and Winter months? Give us a call or pop an email over to us – we’d be happy to help!