Back to previous page

This means it is time for businesses right across the country to start thinking about how well they are prepared for the long winter months and the threat of severe weather.

Minster for Transport, Keith Brown, tells us about the benefits of ensuring that your business is ready:

“Our winter preparedness campaign reminds us of the simple actions we can all take to get ready: in the home, before a journey, or indeed at your place of work. This will serve us well not just throughout the winter months, but all year round and in a range of emergency situations.

“Ensuring your business is prepared for severe weather and putting in place a contingency plan will help you remain open in the face of adverse weather, and minimise the impact on your operation and your reputation."

Our campaign highlights helpful hints for you and your business, including:

  • Severe weather affects us all in different ways – take time to think about how it might affect your business and get ready in ways that are cost effective and suit your circumstances
  • Be prepared for severe weather by ensuring that you have appropriate insurance cover for all aspects of your business
  • Make sure you know how you would operate in the absence of key personnel and consider remote flexible working
  • Do you have alternative arrangements in case your suppliers suffer a disruption to their business?
  • Plan for the impact severe weather might have on meeting obligations to your customers
  • Plan ahead and talk to your staff about what ‘essential travel’ means
  • Looking after your staff and customers will help maintain cash-flow and help build a reputation for reliability
  • Think ahead and plan how you would operate if you couldn’t access or use part of your premises, or how you would evacuate staff or stock
  • Put contingency plans in place for how you would manage if there was a power, phone or other utility failure
  • Put plans in place and make the most of social media and other communication channels during periods of severe weather to maintain regular contact with customers, suppliers and staff to help overcome problems

For employers and employees seeking further information and practical advice, visit the Ready Scotland website at www.readyscotland.org.