Protecting your business

Risk management

It is vital for every organisation to implement comprehensive risk management programmes. The benefits associated with the risk improvements will become apparent over time, and outweigh any additional cost to the business.

Any business, whether a small commercial outlet or a large manufacturer must employ operating procedures and use proven training methodology to ensure that machinery is operated as the manufacturer intended.

Nowadays legal, commercial and social factors have forced risk management firmly into the boardroom. Nowhere is the identification and management of risks more important than for employers that operate plant and machinery.

This changing legal environment means employers still need to be made more aware of managing risk in their business and have the benefits clearly spelt out - namely, a reduction in operational cost due to lower employee injury incidents and more realistic Employers' Liability premiums.

Businesses beating the weather Beating the weather Sudden cold and freezing conditions continue to catch a number of businesses by surprise each year and often serious water damage losses have resulted.

Below are some suggestions to prevent you falling victim to the weather.

Before the cold weather arrives:

• Locate the main supply stop cock and check it is operating effectively.
• Repair any dripping taps.
• Check all insulation is of adequate thickness, in good condition and has not been damaged or disturbed.
• All pipes and tanks in the loft space or any other position which might be vulnerable to freezing should be fully lagged. Preformed pipe insulation (not less than 32mm thick) should be used as far as possible on all pipe runs. Bends or awkwardly sited pipes should be wrapped with securely fixed strips of insulation material. Tanks should be insulated using a preformed plastic tank jacket filled with glass fibre matting, or rigid polystyrene sheeting at least 25mm (1") thick, or a 150mm (6") layer of insulation matting, on the top and sides. It is essential that no gaps are left in any part of the insulation cover.
• No insulation material should be placed beneath any water tank that is situated in a loft space as this will prevent rising warm air from the floor below. The only exception to this rule will be header tanks (generally central heating header tanks) which are raised above the level of the joists in the roof space. These tanks should be totally enclosed in an insulating jacket. Any loft insulation material should be placed over rather than under any pipes which run between the joists, enclosing the pipes within the "insulation envelope" of the building.

When you will be away from your premises:

• If the premises are to be shut down for a period longer than 3 days then consideration should be given to turning off all heating systems and draining down the entire water system. (Also make sure that any other water heating installations have been turned off). If you drain the system refill it slowly to avoid airlocks and do not relight the boiler until the system is fully recharged with water.
• If possible during periods of shut down a regular check should be made of the premises to see that all is in order.
• If you have a sprinkler system, then apart from the above, where applicable, the following points should also be taken into account:
  • If you have thermostats or frost stats check that they are operating properly;
  • If you have an Alternate Wet and Dry System then make sure that this has been turned over to the Dry System before the onset of winter;
  • When on Dry System make certain that all gauges are regularly checked and all is in order;
  • Check with the Sprinkler Engineer as to whether when on a Dry System if there are any areas where there could still be water and if so what precautions should be taken.

  If pipes or tanks freeze:

  If pipes or tanks are frozen then the following points should be noted:

  • Turn off the water at the mains stop cock and if a stop cock is fitted on the system side of the header tank this should also be closed;
  • Protect or remove any goods that could be damaged;
  • Call in a plumber immediately;
  • If you actually have a burst then act as (b) and (c) above and also turn off the water at the main supply stop cock and open all taps to drain the system (do not forget to switch off central heating and any other water heating installations at the same time to avoid further damage or explosion). Contact your Insurer immediately. These are general guidelines and if you have been given specific requirements by your insurer or broker then please observe them or your cover may be invalidated.

  These are general guidelines and if you have been given specific requirements by your insurer or broker then please observe them or your cover may be invalidated.