Winter is coming, and it’s important to be ready. As a leader at your hospital, you’re responsible for the health and safety of your patients and staff. And, unfortunately, cold weather, ice and snow mean more potential health hazards for you to deal with.

So, here’s how to prepare your hospital for winter:

1. Double and triple-check your heating system and generator

The last thing you need is to be left without power or heat during a winter storm. Electricity is literally keeping many of your patients alive. Your hospital really can’t afford to run without power or heat.

If your source of power and your generator fails in the middle of a winter storm, it could take days before technicians are able to reach your facility. So, have an expert examine your heating system and generator before the snow starts falling. Then test all your emergency systems just to be sure. Have all the proper procedures in place beforehand.

2. Prepare and staff for an increase in admissions

Whether you run a small hospital or a large facility, you should be prepared for an increase of patients during the winter months.

Generally, there’s a rise of illnesses during the winter season, which translates to fuller hospital floors. Anticipate this problem by staffing more doctors, nurses and other staff than you normally would. This way, you won’t be rushing to call in employees on their days off because you weren’t prepared to deal with staffing shortages. In the event of severe weather, ask doctors and nurses to stay at the hospital overnight. Bad road conditions then won’t prevent them from making it to work.

Also, you may be dealing with bed shortages. Beforehand, you should know where you’re going to put patients when the usual spaces are full. Have good plans in place, and you won’t be scrambling to figure out everything at the last minute.

3. Plan for wet, icy surfaces

From snow in the hallways to icy steps, winter creates a danger zone around and inside of your facility. Patients and staff are at a higher risk for slipping and falling.

Invest in some quality floor mats to provide traction and wipe snow and ice off of visitors’ feet before it melts all over your hospital hallways. Additionally, purchase some extra supplies, like mops and wiping cloths, to help your cleaning staff deal with the extra work.

4. Keep an eye on the weather

Learning how to prepare your hospital for winter weather means actually watching the weather. Subscribe to weather alerts from local news stations and check the forecast at least once a day so you’re not taken by surprise.

If you take enough time to prepare your hospital for winter weather, you can rest easy and focus on what matters most: the health of your patients.

Need linens, mops, or mats for your winter stock? HandCraft has everything you’ll need to keep your hospital running smoothly through rain, snow or ice. Contact us today to learn more about our services!