Prevent Slips, Trips, And Falls On Your Business Property

Feb 15, 2011

By Staff writer State Farm™ Employee

As a business owner, property owner, or a landlord, it’s your legal responsibility to maintain a safe environment for your employees and tenants.

To reduce the potential for injuries, you may want to consider the following suggestions:

General Tips

  • Maintain adequate lighting in parking areas, on sidewalks, and in stairways. This can make it easier for pedestrians to see any possible impediments.
  • Gutters should not drain water from the roof onto walkways or into parking areas. Water and puddles can easily lead to slips, and if the temperature is below freezing, ice will form.
  • Reported spills should be cleaned up quickly.
  • Repair or replace torn carpets, rugs, loose or missing floor tiles, or any other flooring materials.
  • Consider a removal plan for snow and ice on sidewalks, stairs, parking areas, and around dumpsters.
  • Always repair potholes or uneven surfaces in driveways and parking lots.

Stairways, Steps, And Ramps

  • Install handrails on stairways and ramps in accordance with local building code requirements.
  • Handrails should be stable and securely fastened.
  • Consider using nonslip surfaces, like carpet on stairs.

Walkways And Lawn Areas

  • Repair uneven surfaces, large cracks, or bumps in the sidewalk.
  • Remove obstructions from walkways, such as ladders and other maintenance equipment.
  • If there is a lawn sprinkler system, remember to turn it off and drain the system when the temperature nears freezing. If you don’t, the pipes could freeze, leading to leaks and an unplanned ice rink.

Other Important Safety Tips

  • If you own a building and have tenants, have a manager on duty whenever possible.
  • Post emergency phone numbers.
  • Keep first-aid kits handy and ready for use.
  • Investigate and keep a record of incidents.
  • Incident reports should provide documentation and should include who was injured, dates, and circumstances. Management should review any incident reports.
Was this article helpful?Yes ()  |  No ()

Tags lighting, safety, walkway

Learning Center Forum Topic

What have you done to make walkways safer around your business?
No comments.

Add Your Comment

Comments come from the public: We do not verify all information shared by those commenting. Except for messages posted by Authorized State Farm Contributors, the comments, opinions, and statements made by public contributors do not necessarily reflect the views, policies or practices of State Farm and are the responsibility of those individuals who created the information.

Want to participate in online communities? Read State Farm's Community Guidelines first.

This Learning Center provides general information about insurance and financial services products, as well as other general content, and is provided for educational purposes only. Read More

Some content on this site includes content, information, or opinions provided by third parties or other sources. Content, information or opinions provided by third parties or other sources do not necessarily represent the opinions of State Farm and should not be interpreted as reflecting State Farm's position regarding any insurance product or the manner by which State Farm handles claims.

State Farm does not warrant any content, information, or opinions of any third party or other source. Articles or content about insurance or financial services or other general content do not necessarily represent products or services offered by State Farm. This Learning Center may link to or interface with other Internet sites that State Farm does not maintain or control. State Farm does not sponsor or endorse those sites or the content, information, materials, or information on those sites. State Farm is not responsible for anything contained on such sites and makes no warranties or representations about the information, opinions, contents, products, or services offered on such sites. Not all of the products or services discussed on this site are available through State Farm. The information on this site is not a contract, binder, or agreement to extend insurance coverage. Any coverage descriptions provided on this site are general descriptions and are not a statement of contract. All applications are subject to underwriting approval. Coverages and availability may vary by state or province.

Life Insurance and Annuities Issued By:
State Farm Life Insurance Company (Not Licensed in MA, NY, or WI)
State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (Licensed in NY and WI)
Bloomington, IL

Related Articles

Questions?

Find a local agent below, or call us anytime at
1-800-447-4930

Get a Rate Quote Now

Facebook Activity