Building owners cannot afford to ignore the ever-increasing cost of building damage and personal injury liability associated with winter accidents. When it comes to winter weather, there are plenty of areas in a building that can be affected.

Where Winter Accidents Hit Hardest

Some comment winter problems include:

• Burst pipes
• Roof damage due to snow and ice
• Property or stock damage from melting ice
• Condensing boiler/heating system shutdown due to iced-up condensate
• Pipe and building access problems due to snow

What Can You Do to Avoid Winter Damage

As many have learned following harsh winters, early prevention is more effective than being stuck in a position of damage control. Whether they are designed for pipe frost protection, snow and ice prevention or melting the elements away, having a winter safety package in your building can be the difference in preventing emergency repairs.

Freeze protection and de-icing solutions ensure that building services, such as chilled water pipework, are maintained unfrozen and that roofs, gutters, and drainage pipes are kept clear of ice and snow. In addition to these vital building functions, ground surface heating systems ensure that critical access ways, fire escapes, delivery bays, footpaths and building entrances are passable, greatly reducing the risk of personal injury claims or delays to business activities. All of this is delivered with systems and controls which deliver optimum performance while ensuring energy efficiency. 

All of these systems are controlled by system-specific control and monitoring solutions to optimize system performance, reduce energy consumption, and in many cases provide useful user information. In addition to the smart control range, solution providers deliver complete electrical & control panel solutions comprising electrical safety devices for heating circuits, easy connection to smart control, and the potential for connection to building control for alarm purposes. 

To be prepared ahead of time means having solutions in place that can help minimize the effects a long winter can have on buildings. The more prepared the building is, the risk of the extreme conditions of winter taking a toll and causing long-term damage decreases. 

One way you can start preparing for winter? Research Roof and Gutter De-icing Systems. Learn more in our ongoing webinar.