Winter can be a dangerous time of year because of wet conditions. When an ice storm hits Texas or the snow flies, you could be the target of litigation if someone slips and falls on your property. Taking preventative measures helps to keep people safe and reduces your risk of a lawsuit.
Remove snow and ice quickly
Keep snow and ice from accumulating in areas where your employees or customers may have to walk outside. Putting down sand and rock salt ahead of time may help prevent buildup from accumulating. Still, you need to watch these areas throughout the day. Assign someone to arrive early to clear these areas or accept the responsibility yourself.
Use yellow caution signs
Place yellow caution signs near the building’s entrance and inside the door. This will remind your employees and customers that they should take tiny steps and waddle like a penguin because the floor may be wet. Assign someone to keep these areas as dry as possible with a mop.
Install slip-resistant mats
Laying absorbent anti-slip mats right inside the door may help prevent slip-and-fall injuries. If your building has an exterior awning, you can also find options to use outside. The best mats have traction ridges on both sides so that they will stay in place. If you are replacing mats, consider the warranty period: Higher quality mats often have a longer warranty.
Employ outdoor lighting
It would help if you had excellent outdoor lighting as about 33% of all slip-and-fall accidents occur in parking lots, and you may find yourself facing a premises liability lawsuit. Before winter arrives, take a stroll around your parking lot at night and see if there are any dark spots. Then, be proactive about eliminating those areas. In some cases, you may need to reposition the angle of one of your current lights while you may need to have new lights installed in other cases.
Winter slip-and-fall accidents can be prevented by being proactive before and during a storm.