To quote the universally popular television series Game of Thrones: Winter is coming. While the fictional characters of Westoros don’t face premise liability, winter weather conditions in the real world create serious hazards for employees and patrons alike. It’s time to stop living in fantasy and get serious about winter floor safety.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts wetter and cooler than average conditions in the North due to La Nina, a weather pattern causing unusually cold ocean temperatures that activate shifts in precipitation. NOAA predicts drizzlier conditions in the Great Lakes, Hawaii, Western Alaska and the northern Rockies while cooler conditions are likely to hit northern Montana to western Michigan. Unfortunately, snowfall forecasts can only be predicted a week in advance, so preparedness is key.
Businesses, hotels and retail stores are wise to exercise caution given the shifting weather patterns this winter bearing in mind higher travel and shopping throughout the holidays. Eagle Mat Safety and Floor Products urges both big and small businesses to be mindful of their facility safety in the coming months, so we’ve prepared the following tips for winter floor safety.
Evaluate Your Safety Materials
While winter weather brings a slew of additional concerns, start your winter floor safety with a comprehensive assessment:
- Is your lobby flooring made of wood or tile that loses traction easily when wet?
- Do you have the proper floor mats to aggressively dry wet and snowy shoes in your entryway?
- Are employees trained for adverse weather conditions and staying safe both inside and outside of your facility?
- Are you equipped with caution signs, floor mats and sidewalk salt to limit potential slip and fall accidents?
Secure the Property
If you lack the basic resources listed above, it’s time to equip yourself to secure the wellbeing others and avoid potential liabilities. Wet weather is easily transported indoors and placing commercial-grade floor mats both inside and outside of the entryway effectively minimizes puddles and moisture. To exercise extra caution for hardwood and tile floors, consider an entrance runner to cover additional surface area alongside entryway floor mats. Runners can be conveniently placed on the pathway to elevators or down the center of a small store. Not only do runners create extra traction while walking to and from the doorway, they allow for additional scrubbing and drying of wet shoes.
Umbrellas are a common winter staple, but dripping can cause even more moisture accumulation and threats to floors. An umbrella stand or automatic umbrella wrapper dispenser keeps drips contained to eliminate additional puddles and slipping hazards.
To add grip to icy sidewalks, purchase an ample supply of rock salt. Depending on the size and boundaries of your property, facility managers and property owners may consider purchasing a rolling salt spreader to save time and act quickly when temperatures cool.
Winter Floor Safety with Eagle Mat
Eagle Mat representatives are here to help you create a safe environment for your employees and customers. Preparing your facility with the proper materials is vital given the current winter weather forecasts. For personalized winter floor safety recommendations and a comprehensive overview of our products, call us directly at 877-333-1018.
