[ad_1]
Business owners owe their clients a duty of care when they enter their premises to buy products and services. The last thing any customer or business owner wants is for them to be harmed by a hazard like slippery flooring, falling objects, or tripping hazards. While you may be unable to prevent all on-site accidents and incidents, the following actions may help avoid premises liability claims in your business.
Install Warning Signs
A lack of warning signs is common in many premises liability cases. Guests and customers can’t actively keep themselves safe on business premises if they aren’t aware of the risks they may encounter.
Whether you regularly mop your floors or have heavy machinery, ensure you have adequate, clear signage to highlight potential hazards. These signs may prove valuable for pushing liability away from yourself onto those who choose to be in an area with hazards.
Identify and Resolve Hazards
While you may be unable to resolve all hazards, plenty may be in your power to remedy them. Uneven flooring due to foundation issues, wobbly railings, and loose tiles are common hazards that can lead to injuries. If you’re aware of hazards or damage and don’t put steps in place to fix them, any injured customer may have a strong premises liability case.
Ensure Adequate Lighting
Adequate lighting is already recommended for business security, but it can also be helpful for customer safety. Ensure all customer-accessible parts of your business are well-lit to avoid trips, slips, and falls, such as stairways, aisles, and corners. This simple, cost-effective measure may prevent nasty accidents resulting in costly premises liability claims.
Prioritize Maintenance
Regardless of property type, regular maintenance is crucial for safety. The more well-used a structure, the more it can wear out and the more dangerous it can often become. With this in mind, make maintenance your priority.
Just as you would prioritize hazard prevention and control for employee safety under OSHA guidelines, you can do the same for your customers by creating a maintenance schedule or plan. This maintenance schedule might include:
- The hazards you need to control
- Who’s responsible for looking after them
- When they should be taken care of by
Install Cameras
Cameras are not a sure-fire way to prevent premises liability claims in your business. However, they can be a helpful security measure. You can use them to spot potential hazards, enabling you to proactively approach business safety. You may even use them for video evidence of an incident on your premises.
Cameras combined with security staff may also help prevent criminal activity or reduce your liability when it happens. Without security measures, your business may be liable for failing to provide adequate security if a customer is attacked on your property.
You may not always be able to prevent premises liability claims against your business. However, by prioritizing maintenance, identifying and rectifying hazards, and taking care of security concerns, your business may enjoy far more protection against claims that threaten your business’s reputation and bottom line.
[ad_2]
