How to Handle Seasonal Risks to Keep People, Property, and Businesses Safe
As the holiday season peaks, many companies are dealing with longer hours, increased foot traffic, temporary closures, and year-end operational needs. This time of year brings a lot of chances to make money, but it also increases seasonal risks that must be considered to prevent property damage, liability claims, and business interruptions.
The holiday season is consistently among the most loss-prone times for commercial property owners because of things like decorative lighting, space heaters, colder temperatures, crowded stores, and higher security concerns. During closures when few people are on-site, even small problems can get out of hand quickly if preventative steps aren’t taken ahead of time.
This holiday safety checklist is a useful way to highlight seasonal risks in commercial property and casualty insurance. It gives timely, practical reminders to help property owners, managers, and risk professionals keep their buildings, operations, and people safe, both during short closures and when activity starts up again.
Fire Risks: Decorative Lighting, Electrical Loads, and Temporary Heating
During the holidays, risk of fire increases because of things like seasonal decorations, higher need for energy, and temporary heating equipment. Some of the biggest dangers are utilizing lights that aren’t meant for business, overloading outlets, using extension cords incorrectly, putting space heaters too close to things that can catch fire, and having too much trash or packaging.
Prevention tips:
- Only use decorative materials and tools that have been approved for commercial use
- Check electrical cords and connections and don’t overload outlets or electrical systems
- Make sure there is space around heaters and panels
- Follow the steps for shutting down and closing operations at the end of the day
Even little electrical faults can soon get worse, leading to smoke damage, business interruptions, or losses for many renters.
Frozen Pipes & Water Damage: Cold Weather Preparedness
Frozen pipes are one of the most costly property losses, especially when buildings are left unoccupied during temporary closures.
Areas with increased risk include empty spaces, exterior walls, exposed mechanical rooms, and sprinkler systems.
Prevention tips:
- Maintain minimum building temperatures
- Insulate exposed pipes and winterize unused lines
- Monitor water flow and temperature
- Inspect heating systems
- Incorporate after-hours response plans
Early detection is very important for avoiding a lot of harm and downtime.
Retail Surge & Crowd-Related Exposures
Liability exposures increase when there is seasonal traffic, temporary staffing, and longer hours.
Some common concerns are slip and fall incidents, blocked exits, parking log incidents, and understaffing.
Prevention tips:
- Perform frequent inspections of the property
- Clear aisles and egress
- Enhance lighting
- Additional personnel training
- Adjusted maintenance and security coverage
Consistent safety standards and documentation are key to casualty claim outcomes.
Negligent Security: Seasonal Crime Exposure
Increased activity can bring a higher chance of crime, like theft and vandalism.
Risk factors include reduced staff, cash-heavy operations, poor lighting, and inadequate surveillance.
Prevention tips:
- Review and increase security coverage and confirm systems are working
- Increase and improve lighting
- Lock up High-value items, limit access, and complete audits
- Strengthen cash-handling procedures and document response protocols
Negligent security claims frequently depend on reasonable, verifiable safety measures.
Incident Response & Documentation
Being prepared supports a faster recovery when losses occur.
Prevention tips:
- Keeping emergency procedures up to date and training staff on how to report
- Preserve evidence
- Communicate early with insurers
- Prioritize safety
Timely documentation is especially critical during seasonal losses with limited on-site staffing.
Preparing Today for a Safer Holiday Season
The holiday season presents both opportunity and risk for commercial property owners. Taking a proactive approach that focuses on prevention, readiness, and response can greatly lower the risk of property damage and liability claims. Organizations can protect both their physical assets and the people who use their facilities every day by dealing with seasonal risks like fire, frozen pipes, retail surge, negligent security, and theft.
At Engle Martin, our claims professionals understand how seasonal risks translate to real-world losses. Through experience across complex commercial property and casualty claims, we help clients navigate challenges with clarity, responsiveness, and confidence, especially during the most demanding times of the year. When seasonal risks lead to a loss, Engle Martin’s claims professionals provide the expertise and responsiveness needed to support efficient claim resolution. Contact us at info@englemartin.com for more information.
