As a business owner or manager, one of your responsibilities is to ensure employee safety on the premises of your company. This includes the building or worksite as well as the access walkways and parking areas. In addition to ensuring indoor maintenance, take steps to maintain the outdoor areas around the business to prevent accidents and injuries this winter.
Keep Walkways Clear and Stable
Routinely inspect the sidewalks and parking areas to remove litter, trash, or other debris that could cause someone to trip and fall. If the concrete, bricks, or stonework are crumbling, have them restored or replaced to maintain secure footing. Concrete slabs may need to be leveled if they begin pulling apart or show signs of upheaval. Wherever people are walking to access the business, those areas need to be safe and secure to navigate.
Keep Nature in Mind
Eliminate weeds or other foliage that grows naturally in the cracks of the stonework and sidewalks of your building. Roots from nearby trees may need to be trimmed or removed.
You’ll also need to schedule regular snow removal on days when the weather forecast is predicting snowfall that will stick and accumulate. You can hire a snowplow operator for your exposed parking lots and someone to shovel the walkways. By contracting with a snow removal company, you make sure that you are on their list of locations to care for during the winter, so you won’t have to check the weather every single morning. Ice is another hazard that can be treated with sidewalk salt or a similar application to keep access safe for employees.
Maintain Adequate Lighting
If your employees work in the evenings or after dark, maintain effective lighting so they can see their way into or out of the building. Lighting also helps with security at night to ward off would-be thieves or assailants. A video camera mounted in a location that oversees all or most outdoor areas adjacent to the company is another way to provide safety and deter crime.
Provide Handrails and Ramps
Employees with a physical disability or certain illnesses that can cause occasional dizziness or difficulty walking may benefit from handrails leading to the building from their parked vehicles. Ramps are needed for people who use wheelchairs as well as possibly those using walkers on wheels or crutches. Make sure the ramps and handrails are kept in good condition and tightly secured to facilitate employee usage.
Keeping your employees safe both indoors and outside the business is a priority. Check the outdoor areas frequently to keep up with repairs and maintenance, and add services or features that may be needed as your group of employees changes over time.