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Most businesses are fortunate to have air conditioning. But what if you operate out of a warehouse or a barn where these systems are impractical?
Well, fortunately, this post is here to help. It looks at some of the ways your business can cope when air conditioning isn’t an option.
Business Management Without Air Conditioning: Practical Strategies
Adjust Work Hours
The most obvious approach is to adjust the working hours. Instead of getting people to come to work during the hottest hours of the day, you skew shifts so that they start and finish later/earlier.
For example, let’s say that your standard working day is 9 am until 5 pm. You could potentially shift this back a few hours to 2 am, meaning that most employees are on their way home by 10 am.
Yes, these hours are anti-social, but many workers actually prefer to get their work out of the way early in the morning, giving them more time to enjoy the day.
Install Fans Instead
Another option is to use warehouse or industrial barn fans. These move air through the facility, providing a breeze that helps people cool down.
Furthermore, industrial fans are considerably more cost-effective than air conditioning. Businesses simply put them in convenient spaces in the wall and then use them to recycle the air, often far faster than would be possible with a conventional HVAC unit.
Provide Hydration Areas
You could also be proactive and provide your staff with hydration stations. These keep them feeling refreshed and happy on hot days.
If you can offer ice with their drinks, that’s even better. Employees love it when they feel their employers are taking proper care of them.
Just remember to remind employees to sip on water throughout the day to keep cool.
Relax The Dress Code
It may also be a prudent idea to relax the dress code. You don’t want a situation where people are passing out because they have to wear a tie, shirt, jacket, and waistcoat.
How you do this is essentially up to you. For example, you could skip formal attire completely or suggest ties and blazers when necessary. If you’re outside, you could also provide workers with branded caps and other accoutrements to make the experience more tolerable for them.
Turn Off Things That Generate Heat
You also want to try to turn off things that generate heat at your business. Printers, ovens, and even scanners can generate warmth even when on standby mode, so be careful. Having a policy of cutting power to these when not in use can be handy for a lot of firms.
At the same time, you could also optimize equipment usage. For example, you could schedule printing sessions for the early morning or late evening when temperatures aren’t as aggressive.
Buy Portable Fans
Finally, you could look into buying portable fans that employees can take around with them and set up at their workstations. These can help keep people cool as they sweat throughout the day, as long as they have plenty of water.
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