With winter around the corner, businesses should take measures to help prevent slip and fall accidents within their premises. Slip and fall attorneys in Providence have some tips on how this can be achieved.
Winter is coming and the shift in weather is something every business owner dreads. Slip and fall accidents tend to occur often in this kind of weather and are among the leading causes of injuries on residential and commercial property. Ice and snow increase the risk of slip and fall accidents tenfold. It’s therefore important to start practicing good housekeeping and maintenance this winter to prevent injuries. Remember that you can’t blame the weather when someone gets hurt in your building simply because you did not prepare early in advance for the upcoming winter months.
Start From The Outside
The weather can affect both inside and outside your business premises but chances of slips an falls occurring outside your building are much higher than inside. Ensuring that you maintain your outdoor area well may help to keep the inside of your building free from some dangers. One way that you can do this is by snow removal. Do you have any snow procedures in place that can be execute fast when need be? Likely places where snow and ice can gather include:
- Parking lots
- Driveways
- Sidewalks
- Outdoor steps
Ice blends in very well with dark colors so if your driveway or parking lot has a blacktop, it carries an increased risk of slips and falls. You can keep ice spots to a minimal by inspecting the area for potholes and cracks but a good snow removal plan would be more ideal.
If you plan to do the maintenance yourself, make sure you keep a bag full of salt when you need to immediately take care of the ice. If extreme weather makes it difficult for your customers to walk on your blacktop, ensure that you put up visible warning signs.
Finally, make sure that you light up the place. Proper lighting helps to illuminate areas where there are potential hazards. If you know there is an area in your premises that’s prone to ice, make sure that it is brightly lit and place appropriate warning signs.
Create An Interior Free Of Ice
No matter how clean your outdoor area is, ice and snow will always be tracked into the reception and entrance ways. The ice will melt and create a water hazard. This means that you have to maintain the floor by keeping it dry at all times to reduce the risk of slips and falls.
Areas with heavy foot traffic need to be cleaned frequently. Prep for the interior early in advance. Encourage people to wipe their feet early in advance by placing extra floor mats near the entrance. The mats will also prevent water from getting in between cracks on the floor and causing damage. Lastly, make sure that you place wet floor signs to warn people of a slippery floor.
Always Check For Potential Hazards
Slip and fall attorneys in Providence advice that even when preventative measures are in place, you need to always inspect the premises for potential hazard areas. This will help you take care of new problems as soon as they present themselves.
Avoid A Negligence Case: Hire Slip And Fall Attorneys In Providence
If a customer slips and falls within your premises, they have a right to file a lawsuit. In most cases, business owners are able to avoid legal cases by maintaining their property. In some situations, the business owner may have done everything to prevent the slip and fall but it still occurred. In such a case, you can still avoid legal action by hiring slip and fall attorneys in Providence.
However, if you are aware of potential hazards within your building but you choose to do nothing about it, you might be held liable for any injuries resulting from a slip and fall accident. For instance, if you fail to place appropriate and visible wet floor signs in the right places and someone fell and got hurt, you will be held accountable. If the wet floor sign was there, they would have avoided the slippery floor and may not have fallen.
If you are facing legal action as a result of a slip and fall accident in your business premise, you can contact one of our slip and fall attorneys in Providence here.
