With winter comes snow, ice, excess precipitation, and needless-to-say, a lot of extra mess to clean up. It seems there is no feat to stopping pets, people, and shoes from dragging dirty wet snow and freezing ice into our homes and offices. Not only does this add a few extra hours of clean-up time each week, it can also greatly damage flooring. Wood floors, laminate flooring, tile floors, and carpeting can be destroyed in as little time as one winter season. These elements also cause hazardous conditions for people and employees.
Slip, trip, and fall accidents happen the most in the wintertime, and mostly due to the fact that floors are not cared for properly. Many worker’s compensation and liability lawsuits can be avoided with simple routine floor care, especially in the cold season. Fortunately, there are ways to combat the winter mess and protect our flooring from salt, snow, ice, and more. Continue reading to learn how to protect your business’s flooring and who to trust for worker’s compensation and slip, trip, and fall accidents lawsuits in Indianapolis.
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Responsible Floor Care and Maintenance
One of the easiest and instant improvements a business owner can make to their office is floor mats. You would be surprised just how much moisture and water these mats can collect with a few steps or stomps. Entrance mats, door mats, kitchen and break room mats, and more can be placed all over the office areas in order to prevent excess moisture on the floor. Not only do these mats collect water and snow, they also reduce the amount of salt that is drawn in by foot traffic. Salt is very damaging to certain floor types, and can cause fading, peeling, deterioration, discoloration, and more. The most important advantage of entrance mats is they reduce conditions for slipping and falling. Floor mats are inexpensive and come in various different sizes, colors, and shapes, so it is easy to find the right mat for the surface you intend to protect.
Wet floor signs are another tool that is widely beneficial to a commercial property. Although people understand that a floor might be wet from winter precipitation, it is a safety precaution to advise customers, employees, and guests that certain areas are wet and slippery. This can also greatly reduce slip, trip, and fall accidents. On extra snowy days, place these signs in areas where traffic is at its highest, mostly by front doors and restrooms. This is where excess water tends to collect from foot traffic. By advising people of a wet floor, a business owner can evade a liability lawsuit for injuries and accidents too. These floor signs can be purchased at any home goods store or hardware store for a reasonable price. It is recommended to have at least two wet floor signs per 500 square feet of property.
The last, but equally if not most important, strategy for winter floor safety and protection is routine maintenance and cleaning. This includes daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning duties, as well as, increased vacuuming. Daily duties include dry mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming all flooring. Weekly duties include wet floor mopping with hot water and soap, dry mopping afterwards, and a thorough sweep. Monthly duties might include floor waxing and sealcoating for added protection and security.
Consult a seasoned personal injury lawyer for accurate information, advice, and instruction for filing a slip and fall injury claim in the case that you are injured at a commercial business for any of these above-mentioned reasons or more. A personal injury law firm retains the proper experience, knowledge, and resources to guide you through the legal process of filing a claim for all kinds of accident types. They can fight for your right to full and fair compensation for your damages and losses.
Indianapolis Slip and Fall Lawyers
Personal Injury Law Firm
317-881-2700