With winter on the way, the promise of snow and freezingtemperatures looms for many businesses — along with risks of slipsand falls, burst pipes, service interruptions, and more. Companiesthat have a good understanding of winter-related exposures and takeproactive measures to mitigate them are better positioned toprotect the public and their employees and properties and managetheir total cost of risk.

Following these six tips can help your clients prevent costlylosses.

When treating outdoor areas, not all de-icers are createdequal.

During cold weather, using de-icers on outside areas likeparking lots and sidewalks can reduce slips, trips, and falls.De-icers can vary by price, corrosiveness, and effectiveness. Abusiness should consider weather conditions and the applicationarea when choosing one. For example, sodium chloride (rock salt) isinexpensive, but corrosive to concrete and less effective at lowertemperatures. Ice melt blends (magnesium chloride or calciumchloride) are more effective at lower temperatures, but also moreexpensive. Proper application is also important. Melting snow canre-freeze overnight, so treat areas first thing in the morning,prior to the arrival of employees and visitors.

Don't forget about the entryways (all of them)

The risk of slips and falls does not end once someone enters abuilding. Snow, ice, sand, and salt tracked in from outside cancreate hazards in entryways. Businesses should keep these areasclean and dry and use matting to absorb moisture to help mitigatethese risks. An entryway's size, flooring type, and traffic volumecan affect the housekeeping schedule, floor mat length, and howoften a mat should be replaced. Review plans to ensure they addresseach entryway.

Even dry pipe sprinkler systems can “freeze-up”

As the name implies, dry pipe sprinklers contain pressurized airthat is replaced with water only once the system is activated byheat. Even these systems are susceptible to freeze-ups and are thecause of many winter-related losses. Transient water orcondensation from the air within the system can build up and freezeduring cold weather, causing damage to steel pipes and fittings. Tominimize this risk, business owners should make sure systems areproperly installed, with pipes sloped so water collects at lowpoints, and that pipes are drained on a quarterly basis.

Burst pipes can lead to significant damage and safetyissues

Freeze-ups in piping typically occur in areas that are notadequately heated or insulated, such as in vacant buildings, neardrafty windows, or in attics. Adding insulation can help, but ifpipes do freeze up and burst, they are not only costly to fix, theycould lead to extensive damage if water is not quickly turned offat the main source. It's important that responsible personnel knowthe location of water shut-off valves (and how to use them) tominimize damage. If sprinkler systems are impaired as a result, abusiness should contact its insurance partners and local firedepartment to alert them of the potential hazard.

Winter preparedness is everyone'sresponsibility

When preparing for winter weather, everyone — from housekeepingstaff and front-line employees to managers and interns — bears someresponsibility. Each party should clearly communicate its role,responsibilities, and expectations when it comes to maintenance andsafety. For example, who is responsible for keeping hallways dryand clean? Are workers careful to put excess snow in areas that donot block fire exits, vents, or drains? Employees should know whomto contact when confronting a hazard.

Your insurance partners can boost your efforts

A knowledgeable insurer can help you offer expertise and supportto clients putting their winter plans in place. An insurer mayprovide pre-season preparation guides and more timelycommunications right before a storm that review maintenanceprocedures. If your clients are building new locations orrenovating their current spaces, your carrier may be able to offerguidance on entryway designs, flooring material, and more that canhelp reduce the risk of injuries.

As with most hazards, an ounce of winter weather risk preventionis worth a pound of cure. Knowledge, communication, and supportfrom the right partners can save businesses time — and money — whenwinter arrives.