As a business owner, it is your job to ensure the safety of those who use your premises. This includes both staff and customers. Your responsibility does not just apply within the commercial building, however. It also extends to the areas around the building, such as the parking lot. So, how can you ensure that your parking lot is safe for customers?
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Tips for a Safe Parking Lot
According to the good folk at Parking Lot Pros, taking care of concrete or asphalt parking lot repairs is especially important. Cracks can appear in parking lots over time and unless these are repaired quickly can develop into larger cracks or even holes that could be very dangerous for your customers. Nevertheless, it is not just repairs that improve safety. Ongoing maintenance can make the parking lot safer for those who use it.
This means regularly cleaning the lot to remove trash, leaves,dust, and debris that can accumulate, leaving it unsightly as well as unsafe. If your building is in an area that gets frost or heavy snow in the winter, it is important to make sure that the parking lot is gritted to prevent it becoming slippery. Snow should be shoveled away by staff to allow customers to see the striping so that they can identify parking bays.
Your parking lot will be safer for customers and staffif there is an adequate flow of traffic. This could mean making sure you have separate entry and exit points and clear signage directing the flow in and out. You could also consider installing speed bumps to slow down traffic.
Repainting the striping in the carpark to clearly mark the different bays, loading areas, disabled spaces, and fire lanes will instantly improve safety. Faded striping can make it harder for customers to see where they should be parking and can cause accidents.
You should also make sure the parking lot is well lit. Customers should be able to get back to their car safely with, plenty of light to guide the way at night and during the winter when it gets darker earlier in the day. In addition to lighting, you should consider installing CCTV to improve customer safety and to prevent crime in the parking lot. This will protect both you and your customers.
If your parking lot is large, marking out pedestrian walkways can definitely make it a safer environment. Oftentimes, accidents occur because people are trying to weave their way in and out of parked cars, which makes it harder for them to be seen by drivers. A fully marked pedestrian walkway will ensure that drivers are on the lookout for pedestrians and should help to prevent pedestrians from taking shortcuts through the parked cars.
Why Drainage is Important
Something else to consider when trying to make your parking lot safer is whetherthere is an issue with drainage. It is often the case that insufficient drainage can cause accidents in parking lots. If rainwater is not directed away from the parking lot, it can pool.This in turn can then lead to an increase in the risk of slipping. It is vital that business owners deal with draining issues quickly to prevent an accident from occurring. This can be even more risky in colder climates where standing water can quickly turn to ice when the temperatures drop.
To deal with draining problems, it is best to speak to a parking lot contractor who can take measures to direct water away by adding a slope, curbing, or grates to your car lot.