As a business owner, litigation may damage your reputation and set your business back. Finding ways to reduce in-building hazards may help avoid incidents. For instance, mitigating slipping and tripping hazards can reduce the occurrence of falls.
Paying attention to the details and attending to falling hazards quickly may prove key to ensuring patrons and employees stay safe.
Do you maintain the outside?
Your business extends beyond the parameters of your door. You are responsible for ensuring that the threshold leading inside is free of hazards, such as ice and pooling water. Tracking water in from the outside can increase the slippery surface of a tile floor just inside. Always provide a mat for wiping feet and display signs that alerts people.
Is the carpet level?
The seams of the carpet provide a risky prospect for patrons to overcome. Over time, these areas begin to pop up and become great sources of tripping. Take time regularly to inspect the carpet for any sign of wear and tear that you can repair so as not to increase the chances of a fall.
Do you have a leak?
Even in small doses, water on the floor can become as slick as ice on tile. Aside from the threshold, you should keep a keen eye out for leaks in the ceiling, drink machines and refrigerators. Even a few drops of water can send a vulnerable person sliding and falling.
You have a duty to protect people from hazards. If all else fails, posts signs in areas to warn patrons to maintain their safety.