The key to mastering the winter months as a business is preparation. If you prepare well, you’ll find winter a breeze, but if you fail to prepare, you’ll limp through the winter months.
But what do you need to do to make sure you’re prepared for winter? We’ve got a complete checklist ready, so you don’t have to.
Check your grit bin
Check your grit bin for any signs of damage. If you can see cracks or holes on your grit bin, it may be time for a new one.
Before refilling a grit bin, we advise drying the grit bin just to protect the grit from any water that may be in the grit bin.
Check your salt spreader
Maintaining and caring for a salt spreader can be done quickly, but it’s best to do it regularly when it’s in use and not in use.
Wipe the entire spreader down with fresh water and fully dry the salt spreader after. Most salt spreaders will be made of steel, by using WD40, you’ll ensure the steel is protected.
Check your salt supply
Salt lasts forever, it can be washed away by liquids or if exposed to moisture when the salt dries it will stick together making it harder to spread. Storing the salt in a clean, dry grit bin with the lid closed is important.
Top tip, before the first frost of the year, open the grit bin up and give the lid a wipe dry and stir up the salt, so it’s ready to use.
If you leave brown salt in a grit bin for a long time, you will find that the larger salt particles raise to the top and small grains of sand go to the bottom. Again, by giving the grit a mix will ensure you’re not left with just sand in the bottom of your grit bin on a frozen morning.
Restock on supplies
Over winter, it’s better to be over prepared. If you’re unsure if your salt will last the whole of winter, restock your levels on the safe side.
The worst possible situation for your business is for a cold spell to hit, and you run out of salt. This mean you’ll be left in a rush trying to source more salt, while your business is closed because it's unsafe for staff and customers.
Find out what land is your responsibility
The final thing we advised to do is to find out what land is your responsibility.
This is because you’ll be responsible for ensuring any land that’s yours is safe for people to walk or drive on. If someone has an accident on land that’s yours, and it hasn’t been made safe, you’ll be liable for any injuries caused.
You can find out more about this in our handy blog Keep cautious: Understanding the dos and don’ts of snow and ice clearing in public spaces.
If you’d like to find out more about the winter products we have available, please contact our sales team on 01777 858009 or email sales@kingfisherdirect.co.uk.
