In recent years, the UK has faced heatwaves, floods, and a number of severe storms.
In this post we will explore the risks that your business might face should extreme weather events become more common in the UK, before discussing how you can manage and mitigate these risks.
Key Risks of Extreme Weather To Businesses
Heatwaves
High temperatures can lead to increased health risks for your staff and your customers.
The risk could be particularly high for anyone who works in a role that demands a lot of physical activity, or in environments where temperatures are already high, such as factories, warehouses, and industrial settings.
Storms
Storms can lead to travel disruption, which could affect your supply chain or your deliveries.
A storm could also lead to property damage, such as from falling trees or branches, and it could even lead to power cuts.
And a power cut could affect your business in a number of ways: You could lose your temperature controlled stock if your fridges or freezers fail, and if your security systems go down you may be more vulnerable to theft or vandalism.
Floods
Violent storms can also lead to flash floods, which could cause devastating damages to any kind of business.
And it is not just businesses located on flood plains that need to consider the risk of flood. Heavy rains could overwhelm drainage systems, which could lead to floods in areas that are not usually at risk of flooding.
How To Protect Your Business From Extreme Weather Events
If extreme weather events are becoming more common in the UK, below are some strategies that you could implement to safeguard your business against all kinds of weather-related risks, including:
- Pay attention to Government warnings and weather alerts
- Manage extreme temperatures
- Flood planning and protection
- Storm planning and protection
- Insurance cover
We’ll explore each of these in more detail below.
Forecasts and Government Weather Warning Notifications
Pay attention to the weather forecast, and pay particular attention to any Government warnings about extreme weather events, and the possible risks they may bring.
When it comes to floods, take a look at the Flood Hub’s flood risk maps, which provide both a five-day flood risk forecast, along with potential long-term flood risks. You can also sign up for official Government flood warnings, which means you can get a call, text, or email if there are any particular risks in your area.
How to Manage Heatwaves in the Workplace
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not specify a maximum working temperature for any workplace. This is because all workplaces are different, and some employees may routinely experience high temperatures as part of their work, such as those who work in factories, industrial settings, and warehouses.
However, the HSE does provide guidance on “thermal comfort”, outlining how high temperatures could encourage staff to exercise less caution and take more risks. For example, they may struggle to focus or concentrate, they may choose not to wear certain items of PPE, and they may cut certain corners that could put themselves, or others, at risk.
If you are worried about how a heatwave might affect your employees or your business, there are certain policies you could introduce to help your staff keep cool. The British Safety Council has published advice on staying safe at work during heatwaves, which includes:
- Relaxing dress codes
- Allowing staff to take more frequent breaks
- Providing a supply of cold drinks
- Introducing more flexible working policies
Protecting Your Business From Flooding
Sign up for alerts: Above we mentioned how signing up for flood alerts can give you an advanced warning that could give you time to prepare. However, a severe storm could lead to flash flooding, which could strike your business without warning.
Consider stock and equipment placement: There are some measures you could introduce that could help to limit the damage of any flooding on your premises. This can include storing any high-value stock or equipment on high shelves or upper floors.
Invest in drainage: You could also invest in systems that could help reduce the risks of flash flood affecting your business. For instance, you can install non-return valves on your business’s drains, along with the inlet and outlet water pipes. With these in place, even if the local drainage systems get overwhelmed, it will be less likely that any flood water will enter your premises.
Create a flood response plan: Beyond this, it is worth taking the time to design a flood response plan for your business. This could include steps staff should take to keep themselves safe, along with contingency plans to limit disruption to supply lines, deliveries, and other aspects of your operation.
Read our full guide to preparing your business for a flood. Though this guidance refers specifically to retail businesses, it features tips that could help to keep any business safe.
Protecting Your Business From Storms
Unless high winds cause a tree to fall on your business premises, then it is unlikely that a storm itself will threaten your business. However, long periods of heavy rain could make flash floods more likely, and stormy weather could lead to power cuts and other disruptions.
The best way to protect your business from storms is through assessing all the possible risks that a storm could bring, before designing a risk management plan to help you mitigate these risks:
- Back-up generators to help you deal with power cuts. You could also ensure that there will always be backup power for your fire and security systems, so that power outages will not put your business at increased risk of fire, theft, or vandalism.
- Continuity plans for dealing with disruption and business interruption. How would you manage any delayed deliveries or shipments, for example? Who would you notify, and what measures would help you manage operations until you get back on track?
- Working arrangements: If your staff are temporarily unable to travel due to adverse weather conditions, could you introduce temporary flexible working arrangements that would enable them to work from home?
- Safety protocols: Would a storm put any of your employees at risk on the job? Your employee safety procedures should specify the conditions in which employees should stop working and instead vacate to a place of safety, particularly if they work in a high-risk environment such as a construction site.
How Insurance can Protect Your Business From Extreme Weather Events
James Hallam is an independent Lloyd’s broker with a team of insurance professionals who are dedicated to protecting your shop from the risks you face from extreme weather.
We can help you understand the specific risks your business faces, and we will ensure that your business insurance will give you the cover you need when you need it most. For example, we can help you access specialist business insurance that will cover you for flood risks, and we will make sure that your business interruption insurance will help cover costs while you get back on track.
Learn more about our tailored insurance solutions for SMEs, and get a free quote today.