Member Article

How to ensure your business is winter-ready

While it might still seem a world away, winter is coming, and with it comes a whole host of potential threats to employee well-being and business productivity. ‘Winter blues’ can be an all-too-real prospect as outdoor temperature and light levels drop and adverse weather conditions can pose a significant challenge to businesses employing outdoor workers.

As such, it is important that employers act sooner rather than later to ensure that workers’ wellbeing is maintained over the colder months and in order to prevent against any costly drop-off in productivity.

To ensure the provision of optimum indoor working conditions during the winter months, employers should look to strike a balance wherever possible. For instance, while it is important that offices meet the minimum legal workplace temperature of 16 degrees, facilities managers should also ensure that they do not take this too far. As well as the potential impact on employee energy levels when an office becomes overly stuffy, it is important that offices maintain a reasonable temperature for both financial and environmental reasons. Overheated offices have also been linked with an increase in illnesses, therefore it’s essential that business owners start planning ahead now to assess their workplace and get the balance right before the cold weather hits.

If the budget is available, the integration of an intelligent ‘climate-controlled’ office heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can help ensure that the workplace remains at a comfortable temperature throughout the inevitable fluctuations in the UK’s winter weather. While such a purchase represents a significant investment for any business which should not be taken lightly, it will certainly save time in maintenance and in manually adjusting temperatures throughout any given day, whilst ensuring the wellbeing of all workers. It goes without saying that employees are any organisation’s greatest asset, therefore ensuring that they are healthy, happy and productive all year round makes sound business sense.

Similarly, office lighting can be a serious cause for concern over the winter period. At a time in which natural lighting is in short supply, with late dawns and early sunsets, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can have a real effect on a large portion of the workforce: 21 per cent, according to the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association. While it may not be fully possible to replicate the sunlight many long for in the winter months, steady, strong lighting is surely the best possible alternative.

Flickering and low-level lighting can have an effect on all employees, whether they suffer from SAD or not, with the potential for migraines and general distraction clouding over productivity. Businesses should look into investing in ‘daylight’ bulbs or other alternatives, which aim to produce a quality of light as close to natural daylight as possible.

For employees who are frequently working in the open air, making them susceptible to harsh or unpredictable weather conditions, it is vital that adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is provided. A legal requirement since 1992, employers must provide their workers with adequate equipment dependent on differing working conditions.

It is important that all aspects of the viability of PPE provided are considered. For instance, thick gloves may be seen as an imperative when considering protection from the cold. However, depending on the type of work being carried out, these may not provide employees with the dexterity needed to perform their job effectively. This is where planning and appropriate awareness of available products is vital. It is important that FMs purchase products which enable the dexterity needed for the operation of equipment and completion of tasks requiring fine motor skills, all while still providing adequate protection from the cold.

Waterproofing should also be accounted for when securing PPE for outdoor workers. Wet weather is almost always a problem when considering outdoor work in the UK, but this becomes far more problematic during the winter months. Workers settle in for what could be months of consistent rain, sleet or snow and they need to know that their PPE is going to guarantee them protection from colds, flu viruses and other wet-weather related illnesses.

Breathability of materials is also key in these situations; workers have to be able to stay warm and dry, without having to repeatedly remove and put back on clothing as the weather, climate and therefore their core body temperatures change. Procurement and facilities managers should be sure to bear this in mind as they select equipment.

Decreasing temperatures, diminishing light levels and adverse weather conditions can impact upon both indoor and outdoor workers during the winter months, compromising morale, attendance levels and those all-important margins. With efficient and thorough planning ahead of time, businesses can ensure that they are fully prepared and ready for whatever challenges may lie ahead.

George Hand is a sales manager in cleaning, hygiene and catering at business solutions provider Office Depot.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Office Depot .