The UK's mild winter came to an abrupt end last week as temperatures dropped and parts of the UK came to a standstill due to the snow. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, trains have been delayed and sections of motorway have been completely closed.
Elsewhere in Europe, temperatures as low as -32.5°C have been reported in Romania, while Moscow suffered a low of -21°C. Worst hit appears to be Serbia where, according to The Guardian, around 11,000 people have been stranded in remote mountain villages, cut off by the heavy snow.
Luckily, the UK is unlikely to face conditions as severe as this but, with the AA warning that more than one in three drivers (38%) have done nothing to prepare for winter, even a short spell of wintry weather causes chaos on the roads - and at work.
Preparation is the key. The AA recommends winter tyres, packing the car with essentials such as a shovel and warm blankets, and making plans to avoid driving when bad weather hits.
We recommend advance planning too; keeping your staff safe and off the roads by informing them of office closures before they set off. Mobile messaging is the perfect way to do this. Most people carry a mobile phone with them, so contacting them by text is an easy and cost effective way to keep in touch with large groups of employees and indeed customers.
An extreme but practical example of SMS alerts in action can be seen in Indonesia, where Newmont Mining Corporation uses our emergency messaging system to trigger tsunami warnings. The mobile messages set off sirens, which alert miners and the surrounding communities to the possible danger. The system is also used to send text messages to employees, with more detailed information.
According to Peter Ferringo, Senior Manager Operations Support at the mine, "the technology helps the warnings to be more immediate and effective in alerting our communities and staff in case of an emergency."
For more information how mobile messaging solutions can help your business in severe weather visit us at: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd
follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS
or call us on +44 (0)1506 605 260
or email us at sales@haysystems.com
