Frozen Assets
It's not too late to protect facilities from freeze loss
There's more than one way to keep your assets unfrozen. Act now to defend your facilities against freeze.
Record-breaking low temperatures sent much of the U.S. into the deep freeze in the first quarter of 2019. Businesses suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in economic loss.
Last winter, the "Beast from the East" and Storm Emma caused insurance payouts to homeowners and businesses in the U.K. for storm, flood and burst pipe damage to increase 290%—US$119 million to US$462 million during the first quarter of 2018.
Be ready wherever and whenever freeze hits your assets.
"It is never too late to start preparing for winter weather," explains Owen Lewis, FM Global operations vice president and account engineering group manager. "Many risk managers can be daunted by the misconception that winter weatherproofing is labor intensive."
Lewis offers some practical steps to take now:
- Appoint a "weather watcher" to monitor weather conditions—24 hours' notice can make a big difference.
- Maintain temperatures in key areas above 39⁰F (4⁰C).
- Develop an emergency plan that considers actions to take if your heating system fails for an extended period.
- Check both wet- and dry-pipe sprinkler systems regularly to make sure they are ice-free and remain in service to protect your business from a fire.
- For wet-pipe sprinkler systems, ensure that the protected area and any area the sprinkler pipework runs through is maintained above 39⁰F (4⁰C).
- For dry-pipe sprinkler systems, drain low points on the system before the winter period to ensure no water is trapped.
- Monitor the amount of snow on the roof and have a plan to clear it before accumulations reach unsafe levels.
- Ensure employees are trained to mitigate winter-related risks.
Read the full article "Is your business ready for a big freeze this winter?" originally published in AIRMIC, January 2019
Download FM Global's Freeze-Up Checklist
Related resources:
Protect from Hidden Freeze: Finding it is Job #1
Take a Load Off This Winter: Help prevent snowload roof collapse by taking these steps now
Contact an FM Global representative.