Having a parking lot in your business premise is a convenience you give to your visitors and employees. However, keeping the lot in lousy condition can pose various dangers, and you could face legal matters concerning liability when someone is hurt or loses their car in your parking lot. Slips and falls could lead to severe injuries that may result in lawsuits. Furthermore, a poorly-maintained parking lot can paint your business a bad image. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the types of accidents in parking lots and create ways of protecting your visitors and employees. If you are a commercial property owner or manager, the following are ways to ensure the safety of your visitors and workers when using the parking lot.
Secure Walking Surfaces
One of the most crucial things to improving safety in your parking lot is securing walking surfaces so they are free of tripping hazards. So, ensure the paths and walkways don’t have holes, rocks, or debris that may lead to slipping or falling. Make sure the curbs on sidewalks are evenly distributed and visible using yellow safety paint.
Install Handrails
Installing handrails on stairs is essential to minimize slips and falls. The bars should be stable and tightly secured. They should also have an appropriate height to make them useful. While at it, ensure the rails are correctly maintained to keep them in tip-top condition.
Install Signage
One of the leading causes of accidents in parking lots is poor signage. A lack of proper signs could lead to confusion, putting your employees and guests at risk. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure adequate signage to direct the users. Look for the best printers in Essex to help you design the best signs for your parking lot. Ensure the exits and entrances are appropriately marked. It is also important to mark the surface to indicate how vehicles should be parked. If you use a shutter bus, ensure there is a designated area doe drop off and pick up.
Maintain Security
You must confirm the safety of your premises. You need to install lights to make the place well-lit. You also must secure the entrance and exit to limit access to authorized people only. Another thing that will help deter thieves and unauthorized people is installing CCTV cameras to monitor movement. There are also various technological developments like access control systems that limit or manage access to your premises.
Confirm Proper Drainage
Stagnant water in the parking lot could hide the markings or cause slips and falls. Therefore, it is crucial to remove standing water after the rain. Do this by installing proper drainage. The drain grates should contrast with the parking lot’s surface to make them visible to pedestrians.
Schedule Maintenance
Scheduling regular parking lot maintenance is vital to help identify potential hazards and mitigate them before they happen. Elements such as potholes and cracks pose a certain level of danger. So, conduct regular maintenance to fix the issues, including upgrading your lighting fixtures for better illumination.
Summing Up
These are simple but critical ways of improving parking lot safety for your workers and visitors. Fix any issue you notice and always ensure proper signage to guide the users.
