You don’t have to think back very far to remember the last major ice storm in Atlanta. Just last year, the city saw an ice storm that left thousands stranded and even more without power.
We had 40 of our vehicles on the road during the first 30 minutes of the 2014 storm. Our HighGrove Partners team members ended up clocking 2,000 man-hours in the next 72 hours of the event.
Ice and snow can create dangerous conditions, from impassable roadways to slick sidewalks and parking lots. And if your commercial property isn’t prepared for ice, you will be liable for any injuries that occur there.
Here are ways to prevent slip-and-fall accidents on your property this winter.
Have a Plan in Place
Don’t wait until the weatherman predicts a serious snow or ice storm to start preparing your property.
You need to create a plan well in advance so that everything is covered. It’s also important to set expectations with your tenants and customers beforehand.
Start by inspecting your property after a rainfall to see where puddles form. That shows you what areas will hold water and possibly refreeze into ice patches.
In addition to sidewalks, parking lots and other common areas, there are other important spots to look at after it rains or ices.
Make sure you check ramps and entrance areas, along with hidden spots like shortcuts, dumpster areas and mailbox huts.
From pretreatment (applying an ice melt product before the ice or snow event) to snow removal, work with a trusted snow and ice removal company to create a specific plan to treat your property before and after an event.
Lighten Up Your Property
The better tenants and other site visitors can see, the less slip-and-fall accidents you’ll have. Landscape lighting can really boost the level of safety on your property this winter by highlighting slick spots and potential hazards.
Here are some of the top places you should install lighting to help keep people safe:
- Main Entrances: You can enhance these areas with downlighting and floodlighting for safety and security benefits.
- Pathways: Installing pathway or overhead lights along sidewalks and other paths help people get to where they are going safely. The lights should be spaced so there are no dark spots along the path.
- Parking Lots: Keep visitors safe from the minute they step out of their car with lights in the parking lot. Tall LED floodlights can almost make it seem like daytime.
- Steps: Going down stairs can be one of the most dangerous things to do at night, especially if there’s ice involved. Use stair lights so people can easily navigate the steps. Adjust the lighting so the shadow highlights the leading edge of the stairway trend, allowing people to see where it begins.
Keep Property Well Maintained
Ice can only form where there’s standing water, so make sure your landscape is maintained and drains properly.
If your site’s soil is heavily compacted, it will not only lead to unhealthy turf, but it can also cause standing water issues. When water can’t be properly absorbed, it can puddle and create icy patches.
Talk with a landscape contractor about how to better manage water on your property. Retention/detention ponds, sloping, aerating and adding native plants can help improve water issues.
Overgrown plants can also cause visibility issues, leading people to unknowingly step on icy areas. You should keep your turf and foliage trimmed to prevent accidents. Large branches can break under the weight of ice and cause serious damage, so make sure they are properly pruned.
Plus, well-maintained landscape features will always add aesthetic value to your property — year round.
Don’t Forget These Areas
Beyond following your normal landscape maintenance schedule, there are also other ways to prevent slip-and-falls on your property.
Inspect sidewalks and steps for cracks that can pose problems if they become covered with ice. You should also have any fallen leaves removed, as they can become slippery and dangerous.
Having handrails along stairs are a great way to keep visitors safe — if they aren’t already damaged. Make any needed repairs before snow or ice storms hit.
HighGrove Partners Is Ready To Reduce Slip-And-Falls On Your Property This Winter
With winter right around the corner, HighGrove Partners knows that the chance of snow and ice hitting the Atlanta area is always lurking.
Our snow and ice removal crews are equipped with state-of-the-art vehicles and tools to ensure your entrances, parking lots and sidewalks are cleared. And even before that, our experienced team of pedestrian-safety experts can help you identify and remedy problem areas throughout your property before things get slick.
Call us at 678-298-0550, or contact us online to learn more about preventing slip-and-fall accidents on your property and how we can help.
Last modified: June 3, 2021
