The 15-minute yard walk: A post-winter inspection guide for facilities managers

We visit a lot of yards. Industrial sites, ports, logistics depots, recycling facilities – probably three or four a week, year round.

And there’s one thing we notice almost every time: the problems that end up costing serious money were visible months earlier. Sometimes years earlier. A crack that’s been growing. A drain that’s been slow. A patch that keeps failing in the same spot.

It’s not that people don’t care. It’s that yards don’t shout for attention. They sit there quietly deteriorating until something gives way – and by then you’re not maintaining, you’re firefighting.

Here’s the thing though. In 2024, UK insurers paid out a record £650 million for flood and water damage claims. Slip, trip and fall injuries account for around 30% of all workplace incidents, with average claim payouts exceeding £20,000. And when those claims get investigated, one of the first questions is always the same: what did you know, and when did you know it?

A documented inspection routine answers that question before anyone asks it.

This isn’t complicated. Fifteen minutes, once a month, walking your yard with fresh eyes. Here’s what to look for – and why it matters.

Why early spring is the time to do this

Winter does its damage quietly. Freeze-thaw cycles work on cracks. Saturated ground weakens sub-bases. Drainage systems get pushed to their limits.

Now that temperatures are stabilising and the ground is drying out, the evidence is visible – if you know where to look.

This is also when most facilities teams are finalising maintenance budgets for the year. What you find in the next few weeks shapes what you spend in the next twelve months. And what you document now protects you if anything goes wrong later.

The 15-minute yard walk: what to check and why

Walk your yard as if you were seeing it for the first time. Better yet, walk it as if you were an HSE inspector or a loss adjuster. What would they notice?

1. Surface condition

What to look for: Cracks wider than 5mm, spalling where the surface is flaking or breaking away, potholes forming, and any areas where the surface has visibly dropped or lifted.

Why it matters: Surface defects don’t stay the same size. Water gets in, freeze-thaw cycles expand them, and heavy traffic accelerates the damage. A crack you ignore in March becomes a pothole by June. Anything above 40mm is an immediate hazard.

Pay attention to: Joints between concrete slabs, edges near kerbs and drainage channels, and any areas under regular HGV traffic.

2. Standing water and drainage

What to look for: Puddles that remain more than an hour after rain, water pooling near buildings or electrical installations, blocked or overflowing gullies, and any areas where water has nowhere to go.

Why it matters: Standing water is the single biggest cause of long-term yard damage. It weakens sub-bases, accelerates surface deterioration, and creates slip hazards. It also signals that your drainage isn’t coping – which can become an environmental compliance issue if contaminated runoff reaches watercourses.

Pay attention to: Low spots in the yard, areas around drain covers, and anywhere the surface has settled or dipped.

3. Drainage infrastructure

What to look for: Blocked or slow-draining gullies, damaged or missing grate covers, signs of silting or debris build-up, and any unusual smells suggesting backed-up systems.

Why it matters: Your drainage was sized for a certain capacity. Blockages don’t clear themselves, and a system running at reduced capacity will fail when the next heavy rain arrives.

Pay attention to: Interceptors if you handle oils or fuels, channel drains along loading bays, and gullies near high-traffic areas where debris accumulates.

4. Pedestrian and vehicle routes

What to look for: Trip hazards from uneven surfaces, faded or missing line markings, damaged kerbs, and any areas where pedestrian and vehicle routes aren’t clearly separated.

Why it matters: Slips, trips and falls account for around 30% of workplace injuries, with average employer liability payouts exceeding £20,000 per incident. Poorly maintained yards also create vehicle risks – damaged surfaces cause loads to shift, and unclear markings lead to near-misses. The HSE expects traffic routes to be maintained in a safe condition.

Pay attention to: Pedestrian crossing points, loading bay approaches, and any areas where forklifts or HGVs regularly turn.

5. Edges, joints and ironwork

What to look for: Movement around manhole covers and drain grates, gaps opening between slabs and kerbs, cracked or rocking ironwork, and any signs that edges are crumbling or pulling away.

Why it matters: Edges and joints are where most failures start. They’re the weak points that water exploits and traffic stresses. Loose ironwork under HGV traffic isn’t just annoying – it’s a damage risk to vehicles and a potential injury waiting to happen.

Pay attention to: Ironwork in regular traffic paths, expansion joints between slabs, and the junction between your yard surface and building thresholds.

6. Signs of sub-base problems

What to look for: Hollow sounds when you walk across certain areas, visible sinking or dipping that wasn’t there before, cracks appearing in patterns that suggest movement underneath, and sections that flex noticeably under load.

Why it matters: If the sub-base is failing, surface repairs won’t hold. Water infiltration can wash out material from beneath slabs, creating voids that eventually cause collapse. Catching this early is the difference between targeted intervention and full reconstruction.

Pay attention to: Areas that have been patched repeatedly, sections near drainage runs, and anywhere that floods regularly.

What to do with what you find

Document everything. Photos from the same locations each month. Note the date, location, and size of defects. This isn’t bureaucracy – it’s evidence that protects you when questions get asked.

Prioritise by risk. Not everything needs fixing immediately. But anything that creates a trip hazard, blocks drainage, or sits in a high-traffic area should move to the front of the queue.

Get a proper assessment for anything serious. If you’re seeing signs of sub-base movement, widespread cracking, or drainage that’s fundamentally not coping, a professional survey will tell you what you’re actually dealing with – and what it’ll cost to fix properly versus patch repeatedly.

Build it into your routine. Fifteen minutes a month is all it takes. The facilities managers who stay ahead of problems aren’t the ones with bigger budgets – they’re the ones who look regularly and act early.

PKB Civil’s take

The yards that cost the most to maintain aren’t the oldest or the busiest. They’re the ones where small problems get left until they become big ones.

Most of it happens because yards don’t demand attention until something fails. A structured walk changes that. It puts you ahead of the problems instead of behind them.

And when someone does ask questions – whether that’s your insurer, the HSE, or your own leadership team – you’ll have answers. Dated photos. Logged defects. A clear record of what you found and what you did about it.

That fifteen minutes could save you thousands. More importantly, it could prevent someone getting hurt.

Need help assessing what winter left behind?

Send us a brief of and we’ll get back in touch and organise a free site survey for you. If your walk raises concerns, we’ll give you an honest assessment of what needs attention now, what can wait, and what it’ll take to fix it properly.