Many business owners learn to love their warehouses. At first, it seems like a mundane relationship. You simply store your stock in a warehouse and ship it out to customers when you have the sales come in. The more you stay in business, the more you realize this is far from the best of your warehouse. A warehouse is also a logistical powerhouse. You have many things stored in or around the warehouse that allow you to ship your products around the country and around the world. You also have the ability to study your sales in real-time. But winter is waging a war against all of this. It’s subtle and yet very serious, so you need to pay attention to these issues.
Brittle and weak
You may know this, and you may not. But warehouses are prime targets for burglars during the winter. For one thing, they know that it gets dark very quickly. It can get dark as early as 4pm in some places. They also know that ice can freeze CCTV cameras making it very easy to swoop in under the blindspots. But most of all, the doors, cages, barbed wire and locks are brittle. The cold allows them to be shunted with brute force, or more easily cut. This is why it’s important that you take care of your CCTV system, by employing some kind of protection for the cameras. Cover them with a cloth if you can or perhaps cover the wiring with a little more sealant. This can prevent the wires from malfunctioning and thus, scattering the images.
Spillage central
It’s quite annoying to come to your warehouse to check up on things and suddenly, you come across a spillage. You walk inside to find that some barrels or even an electronic system has had a leak. This might be a machine or a tool of some kind. The first thing you do is work with a known biohazard cleaning service as they will handle the dirty and dangerous work. They will clear up any oil spillage, coolant or even some kind of hazardous chemical. Then, you need to elevate your stock and or tools soi they aren’t getting frozen to the floor. Wrap them up in an industrial tarp. This is so crucial as the tarp will keep the products a little above freezing if wrapped tight enough.
A few more nails
The roof can be the most vulnerable part of your warehouse during the winter. Not only is it taking the brunt of the hailstones, snow and rain, it is also trying to manage the wind. All four of these things put a toll on your roof. We recommend that just before winter, or even now, you call a roof protection service to come and take a look. They will add a few extra nails to the shingles, they might strengthen or refix a tile or slab if they feel they need to. They might also fix wind deflectors as well, especially if your warehouse is in a rural location.
Warehouses are very useful and cost-effective storage solutions. However, during the winter their size and variable stock is a bit difficult to protect. Just be careful and think of these concerns as you move forward.
