As the months get colder, they bring with them snow and ice - which can be damaging to your property if you’re not prepared for them. Read on to find out more about the common winter risks to commercial properties and how you can mitigate the risks.

Common winter risks to commercial properties and ways to mitigate them

• Blocked drain pipes: If your drain pipes are blocked, these could freeze and shatter in cold temperatures. Blockages also impede rainfall from draining away, which could cause flooding around your property. Make sure your drain pipes are clear to prevent this.
• Frozen water pipes: Cold temperatures can lead to external and internal pipes freezing and shattering. Prevent frozen pipes by turning on the heating at regular times - even if the property is empty at the weekend, you can leave the heating on a timer to make sure the pipes are heated and avoid them freezing.
• Swelling and shrinking doors and windows: The wet and cold weather can cause your doors and windows to swell and shrink - this can lead to both health and safety and security hazards if you are not able to close them properly. Take action by checking your windows and doors regularly to make sure they remain sealed when closed.
• Overheating appliances: It’s tempting to plug in extra heaters during the colder season, but the appliances should be PAT tested. Make sure you don’t plug fan heaters into extension leads. Instead, plug them directly into the mains, as using extension leads can lead to overloading and fires.
• Ice and frost outdoors: Snow and ice can cause slipping hazards around the outside of your property. Consider putting down salt or grit around your property to reduce the chance of slippages. In the case of heavier snowfall, you may want to look at snow removal contracts to make sure the snow is regularly removed and the area remains safe.
• Exterior lighting: As well as snow and ice, poor lighting outside of your property can lead to slipping hazards. The darker months are also a prime opportunity for thieves, so make sure your lights are in working order and come on automatically during the night.

How commercial property insurance can protect against winter damage

It’s important to have the right insurance in place for your property, so you’re protected if the worst happens. Commercial property insurance helps to protect your property against a wide range of cold weather risks, and offers public liability cover in the event of someone being injured on your property.

If something goes wrong - for example, your pipes still freeze and burst despite being regularly heated - you should assess the damage and make a claim with your insurance provider.

For more information or for a full review of your insurance needs, please see our insurance specialisms, contact your usual Towergate Insurance Broker or email TIB@towergate.co.uk.


Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.