Cold weather exposes weaknesses fast. Doors slow down, levellers seize, shutters stiffen and buildings stand empty just long enough for small issues to turn into major breakdowns. Every year, Stanair sees around 30 percent more emergency callouts over Christmas and New Year, and almost all of them began as minor December faults that were left too long. 

 

With over 50 years of experience keeping industrial sites running through winter, we know exactly what fails first, why it fails and how to stop it before the holidays begin. 

 

 

Loading bays are the first point of failure for many sites in winter. When the temperature drops, hydraulics thicken and slow, dock shelters become brittle and even the smallest gap can let water in. The real trouble begins when a site closes for Christmas. If water enters a leveller mechanism and freezes while no one is around to spot it, the entire system can seize. When staff return and try to restart it in January, the motor works against ice, overheats and fails. With deliveries already backed up from the break, a failed bay can set operations back by days. 

 

Our advice: 

 

Before shutdown, run each leveller through a full cycle and listen for slowing, knocking or uneven movement. Check shelters and seals for splits or daylight creeping through. If anything feels even slightly off, it is better to have it inspected now rather than face a breakdown during the first busy week of January. 

 

 

Large industrial doors carry the heaviest load during winter. Older motors struggle in low temperatures, safety edges become less responsive and tracks contract slightly with the cold. A door that hesitates in December is often the same door that refuses to open on the first working day of the new year, leaving vehicles stranded and staff unable to move goods. 

 

Our advice: 

 

Operate each door fully and watch its movement closely. If the door judders, sticks, sags on one side or runs more slowly than usual, treat this as a warning. These behaviours almost always worsen when temperatures drop further over the holiday period. 

 

 

Rapid action doors are designed to minimise heat loss, but only if they run at full speed and seal tightly. In winter, we often see doors that have slowed by a few seconds, and those few seconds matter. A sluggish curtain allows warm air to pour out into the cold, pushing up heating bills and making work areas uncomfortably cold for staff returning in January. 

 

Our advice: 

 

Watch each rapid door complete a full cycle. The curtain should travel smoothly, the sensors should respond instantly and the bottom edge should sit flush. If not, the door needs attention before temperatures drop further. Heat loss is one of the most expensive hidden winter issues, and this is where it often begins. 

 

 

Fire doors and shutters are rarely tested during busy months, yet they matter most when no one is around. Cold weather affects alignment, stiffens hinges and weakens seals. A fire door that does not close fully while the site is empty cannot provide protection. Over recent winters, we have seen fire doors that worked perfectly in autumn struggle to close in late December simply due to temperature changes. 

 

Our advice: 

 

Before the site closes, test each fire door by letting it close naturally. Listen for scraping and watch for gaps. If it does not latch firmly or stops short, it needs inspection.