The Dos and Don'ts of Heating Your Workplace During the Winter

With the winter season comes cooler temperatures. Even if you work indoors, you may get cold. The cold temperatures during this time of year, of course, have a negative impact on your productivity when left unchecked. The good news is that you heat your workplace during the winter. This post lists several dos and don'ts to follow when heating your workplace during the winter.

Do Keep Flammable Materials Away From Heat Sources

You should keep all flammable materials from heat sources in your workplace. Heat sources can consist of supply vents, space heaters and fireplaces. Because they create heat, they may ignite flammable materials that are stored nearly. You can still use appliances or fireplaces to heat your workplace, but you should store flammable materials far away from them to minimize the risk of a structure fire.

Don't Run Space Heaters Without Supervision

While space heaters are convenient and easy to use, you shouldn't run without supervision. There are different types of space heaters. Some of them use convection heating, for instance, whereas use radiant heating. Regardless of the type, you should only run a space heater if you or someone else is able to supervise it. Unsupervised space heaters are one of the leading causes of structure fires during the winter.

Do Test Smoke Alarms

It's a good idea to test the smoke alarms in your workplace. Most workplaces have smoke alarms. They consist of battery-powered devices that, as you may know, are designed to detect smoke. If a smoke alarm doesn't work, however, it won't be able to alert you to the presence of smoke. When heating your workplace during the winter, test all smoke alarms to ensure they work.

Don't Use Propane Heating Indoors

Some heating appliances, as well as space heaters, are powered by propane gas. Propane-powered heating appliances, though, typically aren't designed for indoor use. Rather, they should only be used outdoors. When burned, propane gas will release carbon monoxide. Using a propane-powered heating appliance inside of your workplace means that carbon monoxide will build up. Therefore, it's best to avoid using propane-powered heating appliances indoors.

Do Get an Annual Inspection

You should get the heating appliances in your workplace professionally inspected at least once a year. Heating appliances contain many different parts. If some of these parts fail, you may not be able to use the heating appliance. Alternatively, using the heating appliance may prove unsafe.