Prepare your business

While the county council is busy preparing for the winter months we are advising businesses to take the following steps to help them stay operational whatever the weather.

• Stock up on grit. In harsh winter weather you may need to keep your car park and entrance areas free from snow and ice. If you have a large private area to keep clear it is your responsibility to buy your own grit or contract a company to keep it clear for you. There is no law stopping you from clearing the pavements of public areas. 
• Get an expert to check that gas fires, boilers and central heating are in full working order.
• Leave heating on in empty buildings in order to maintain at least four degrees Celsius to prevent pipes from freezing or cracking.
• Repair any dripping taps, they may freeze and cause burst pipes. 
• Make sure that you can reach stopcocks in the case of burst pipes.
• Reduce heat loss by filling gaps around windows and doors.
• Try to improve your energy efficiency. The Carbon Trust provides a free online action plan tool to help make your building more energy efficient.
• Make sure that your insurance covers all the contents you may need in order to repair your premises in an emergency.
• Inspect your roof for loose tiles and blockages.
• Move your stock and equipment above flood level.
• Check your business continuity plan and keep people`s contact details to hand.
• Try to use natural lights rather than artificial to boost your employees' morale and reduce your bills.

Gritting advice for businesses in Lancashire

In harsh winter weather, it’s likely that you’ll need to keep your car park and entrance areas free from snow and ice. If you have a large private area to keep clear, it's your responsibility to buy your own grit (available from a range of hardware stores) or contract a company to carry out the work for you. In special circumstances, Lancashire County Council can allow for work to be carried out on public road network (at your own cost), provided the correct permissions are in place.