Freeze Warning: Your Guide to Winterizing Industrial Equipment

• Perhaps the shop’s air compressor is in an unheated room near the building exterior. Maybe it’s even in a separate building or shed out back. When was the last time it had preventive maintenance? Is the oil viscosity rated for the expected temperatures? Has the drain valve been opened recently? Don’t wait for this critical equipment to freeze up before giving it the attention it deserves.
• Most machine shops and sheet metal manufacturers own one or more company vehicles. Larger firms may have a fleet of them. All should have a pre-winter checkup at your neighborhood garage. Have mechanics change the oil, check the batteries and tires, top off the fluids and do whatever else is needed to keep the vehicles roadworthy.
• Upon the vehicles’ return, make certain each is equipped with an ice scraper, jumper cables, flares, snow chains, a shovel, first-aid kit, flashlight, a warm blanket or two and some emergency rations. Doing so might keep an accidental slide into a ditch from turning into a tragedy.
• The company forklift doesn’t need that level of winter preparedness but depending on your parking lot and whether there’s a ramp to the loading dock, it might need tires that are better equipped to handle slippery surfaces. Now’s also an excellent time to make sure the battery is in good working order.
• The National Fire Protection Association says December, January and February are the peak months for heating fires. Granted, most of them are home fires, and many are caused by improper use of the aforementioned space heaters, but sprinklers and extinguishers should still be inspected, functional, and insulated against freezing as winter approaches.
• As for fire prevention, your building almost certainly has a fire hydrant out front. It won’t do any good, however, if it’s buried under 6 feet of snow when the fire department arrives. Hire a company to keep it clear (or task a cold-loving employee with the job). While you’re at it, have you contracted a snow removal company to plow the parking lot?  
• Has everyone been informed of the company’s plan for a blizzard or power failure? Under what conditions should employees stay home? Is there a list of phone numbers, and who will call whom? No one wants to battle their way into work through snow and slick roads only to find that the plant is closed. 

While this is a long list, planning is essential. Determine who’s responsible for each of these tasks. Make certain they’ll be available to perform them when needed and designate a backup. Also, figure out who’s ordering the necessary winter weather supplies, what they’re buying, who’s installing them if needed, and who’s keeping an eye on the situation after that.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a lot to say about preparing for winter weather. So does the National Weather Service, both here and here.

Winterizing the factory isn’t limited to preparing for the cold; it includes ensuring continuity of operations and safety for employees.

That requires a proactive approach, open communication and regular, scheduled maintenance to address the unique challenges posed by lower temperatures and harsh weather conditions.

Which steps in winterizing your machine shop are most important? Tell us in the comments below.