Umbrellabagger.com Announces New Awareness Campaign for a Safe Holiday Shopping Season
This winter, Umbrella Bagger has announced a special awareness campaign to encourage businesses to re-evaluate visitor safety. This holiday season is 1 weekend shorter than that of 2012, creating the potential for larger crowds that are more difficult to manage.
As we’ve covered in many blog articles and studies this year, one of the best ways to improve customer satisfaction and visitor safety is to focus on making sure floor surfaces are clean, dry, and safe. The importance of floors was highlighted earlier this year when American insurance company, CNA, released a new study indicating that poorly maintained floors were the #1 contributing factor in slip and fall accident cases. For some, this statistic was a departure from conventional wisdom, as many would intuitively guess that slips and falls had more to do with visitor footwear and/or clumsiness.
In keeping entryways safe, customers are sure to feel a firm foothold and a warm welcome when entering storefronts to shop during the 2013 holiday season.
Spreading Awareness for In-store Accident Prevention
The biggest reason we are spreading awareness for visitor safety during the holiday shopping season is simple: Accidents are more likely to occur when storefronts are busy, overcrowded, and offering big sales. Retailers know firsthand that each of those variables has major influence during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, making now the perfect time to re-think storefront safety products and protocols.
Moreover, the snow and rain of winter months has the potential to make entryways even more treacherous than normal. To prepare, retailers are encouraged to be mindful of the 10 days that are predicted to be the busiest this season:
- November 29th: Black Friday
- December 21st: Super Saturday
- December 22nd
- December 20th
- December 14th
- December 23rd
- December 26th (the day following Christmas)
- November 30th (Saturday following Black Friday)
- December 7th
- 10. December 28th
Tips for Preventing Slippery Floors
With the top 10 busiest shopping days in mind, property owners must shift gears to think about visitor safety from the ground-up. Below are 3 essential tips for making sure that storefronts, particularly high traffic entryways, stay clean, dry, and safe for shoppers.
1. Use floor mats for added traction.
Floor mats are perhaps one of the oldest and most well-known methods of accident prevention. Mats are available in a variety of makes and models, each of which can add a significant layer of traction on which customers can walk while simultaneously drying their shoes.
2. Offer coat racks or coat check services.
Floor mats are just the foundation for a slip-free season, however. It’s important to understand other ways in which snow, ice, and rainwater can penetrate facilities and cause hazardous puddles. One way precipitation is carried past entryways and throughout the storefront is by way of wet raincoats and other outdoor apparel. Offer a place for guests to check their coats, and you’ll reap two benefits: Precipitation control, and customer experience enhancement. Allow guests to easily shed their wet coats, and create an in-store environment that invites happy shopping.
3. Offer wet umbrella bags to guests.
Umbrellas are particularly good at carrying precipitation past entryways, as they are often carried throughout the store with little thought of the mess they make. As property owners, keeping up with liquid accumulation from wet umbrellas can be a challenge that can lead to slips, trips, and falls when left unchecked. Place wet umbrella bag dispensers at all major points of entry, and give guests a convenient way to stow their umbrellas while they shop.
Keeping Things Clean, Dry, and Safe This Winter
Visit Umbrella Bagger for additional information on wet umbrella bag stands, disposable bags, and other safety products. For order information and assistance, call toll free 1-855-328-8100.
Read the full press release by clicking on the following link: PRWeb-Umbrella Bagger Spreads Awareness for In Store Accident Prevention
Top 5 Places for Wet Umbrella Bag Dispensers
Which locations benefit most from wet umbrella bag dispensers? In short, these specialty items are ideal for any location in which safety, cleanliness, and a high standard of service are imperative. From condominium complexes to commercial buildings and banks, the establishments that benefit from these devices are many and varied. No matter what the location, on thing remains constant: Helping a guest to stow a wet umbrella is a simple act that can go a long way in creating a memorable first impression.
Controlling rainwater accumulation is vital when it comes to maintaining a clean, dry, and safe environment as well. Contrary to popular belief, it is often the condition of the floor that causes the accident—not the clumsiness of the person who falls (i). In this light, staying proactive in controlling wet umbrellas and the rainwater they carry is essential in preventing unnecessary slips, trips, and falls during rainy days.
5 Settings That Are Ideal for Umbrella Wrappers
The following 5 locations are the most ideal settings for these unique safety products.
Residential apartment buildings
Whether purchasing a unit or leasing for the year, apartment complexes are first and foremost judged on the quality of life they provide to residents. Aesthetics, common areas, amenities, and staff are all vital selling points. It’s important to remember that curb appeal is everything, and wet umbrella bag stands are a fine touch that residents and guests are sure to enjoy. Moreover, these devices are highly effective in proactively preventing accidents that can otherwise occur when rainwater is left to form puddles on the floor.
Commercial buildings
Commercial buildings benefit from umbrella bag dispensers for much the same reason that residential complexes do. An important difference, however, lies in the footwear of the guests who frequent the premises. Whether dressing business casual or donning a suit, professional men and women typically wear shoes with smoother soles and less grip than average sneakers. The smallest touch of rainwater or debris can cause a serious slip and fall, making it more dangerous than usual to allow guests to carry wet umbrellas through the entryway, lobby, and interior corridors.
Banks
Security, comfort, and superior customer service are often the three most important values financial lending institutions leverage when competing for new customers. Although umbrella bag dispensers won’t prevent fraud or identity theft, they will make those rainy day trips to the bank a more comfortable experience. After all, no one likes waiting in line with a sopping wet umbrella and their arm.
College campuses
Few communities spend more time traveling from building to building throughout the day than the students, professors, and staff that make up our nation’s college campuses. Add wind and rain to the mix, and it’s easy to see how slip and fall accidents can become a real threat. With such a high level of turnover throughout the day, campus buildings are smart to invest in safety products that keep dirt, debris, and moisture in check. Floor mats are essential, and umbrella bag dispensers are a vital complement, especially in the entryways of auditoriums, fitness centers, and other places that attract high profile events.
Hotels and Resorts
Hotels and resorts are an escape from the ordinary. And although people travel to these destinations to take a break from reality, they still appreciate a warm and comfortable environment. Umbrella bag dispensers are a simple way to make a positive first impression, particularly for tropical destinations that experience unpredictable storms and rainfall.
Learn More About Automatic Umbrella Wrappers
Visit Umbrella Bagger online to shop the Web’s most comprehensive collection of umbrella bag dispensers. Shop our new collection of Automatic Umbrella Wrappers, new units that allow guest to bag and stow wet umbrellas in a single, fluid motion.
Sources:
(i) “New Techniques to Control Slips and Falls.” National Floor Safety Institute. Accessed 23 August 2013.
Free Infographic: Prevent Slippery Floors, Reduce Accidents
Prevent slipper floors, and reduce in-store accidents seems to be the main message behind a new study. After all, guests are only human, and mis-steps that lead to accidents are a reality that must be addressed. Managers and maintenance personnel are likewise prone to misjudging certain risks, cleaning protocols, and other aspects of facility safety. Moreover, dangerous conditions can form quickly and cause accidents long before a maintenance team has time to respond and clean in a reasonable manner. One such scenario includes rainwater accumulation in unlikely places.
Rainwater, snow, and other debris accumulation is most dangerous when it occurs in unlikely places for 1 main reason: It’s hard to spot. For maintenance personnel, accumulation that occurs beyond floor mats or along interior corridors might not be recognized during normal rounds. And for guests, such accumulation can be unexpected and, in some cases, very difficult to see.
Slipper Floors Cost Business Owners Billions
According to the Liberty Mutual Research Institute, slip and fall accidents cost American businesses an estimated $13 billion in total costs. Among those categories of accidents are overexertion, fall on same level, bodily reaction, fall to lower level, and struck by object (such as moving machinery or a dropped tool). The costs illustrated in the infographic above were originally published in the Institute’s Workplace Safety Index for 2010.
Most alarmingly, however, is a figure that is not illustrated above: The cost of slip and fall accidents has actually increased between the years of 1998 and 2008, as reported by Liberty Mutual. Also important to note is that costs for the other top 10 categories of at-work injury all decreased over the same time period.
These numbers demonstrate a simple truth: Slip and fall accidents remain a problem for American business owners. Be it ineffective safety products, lack of proper cleaning protocol, unpredictable weather, or some combination of each of these variables, slip and fall accidents are a costly part of doing business that is preventable.
How to Eliminate Slippery Floor Surfaces
The best way to prevent accidents due to rainy day weather is to take a 3-pronged approach to rainwater accumulation. This includes:
1. Anticipate wet shoes.
Rainy days inevitably cause visitors’ shoes to become wet and dirty with debris. To prevent slips and falls, use indoor and outdoor commercial floor mats to aggressively clean debris and wetness from visitors’ shoes.
2. Remember: Wet coats track water past mats.
Shoes are not the only thing that needs tending to, however. Wet coats can easily track water well beyond floor mats, which can cause dangerous accumulation in hard-to-see places. To combat this problem, use coat racks and “coat checks” to encourage guests to leave wet coats at the entryway.
3. Encourage guests to wrap and stow wet umbrellas.
Like raincoats, wet umbrellas track water well beyond the safe and absorbent surfaces of floor mats. Wet umbrellas pose a greater problem than wet coats, however, because guests shake them dry at the entryway, which showers slick floor surfaces with rainwater, snow, and other debris. Shop wet umbrella bag dispensers to minimize this risk, and present guests with an easy way to wrap-and-stow wet umbrellas upon entering the facility.
Shop Automatic Wet Umbrella Wrappers
Visit Umbrella Bagger for additional information on wet umbrella bag dispensers, disposable bags, and other safety products. For order information and assistance, call toll free 1-855-328-8100.
Share This Free Infographic
To share this free infographic, right-click on the following link and select “Save as…” to save the embed code to your computer as a .txt file. Then, upload the entire file to your website or blog: Embed Code-Prevent Slippery Floors
Have a Slip-Free-Fall with These Safety Products
Most retailers will agree: Fall months can be a dangerous time to be in business. A combination of seasonal sales, excited crowds, and unpredictable severe weather can easily lead to slips, trips, and falls. Failure to take reasonable measures to ensure visitor safety can expose property owners to liability for any injuries sustained on the premises.
With danger comes opportunity, however, as fall months and the holiday shopping season drive large crowds, sales, and high revenues. To make the most out of this profitable opportunity, property owners are encouraged to get proactive in accident prevention. In addition to hiring maintenance personnel and reviewing proper cleaning protocol, property owners are wise to evaluate the premises and think of cost effective ways to invest in safety products that will keep heavily trafficked areas clean, dry, and safe.
Mats, Stanchions, Umbrella Wrappers, & More
1. Outdoor Rubber Matting
Safety mats made of 100% commercial-grade rubber Nitrile make superb outdoor entrance mats. With deep surface grooves, these mats aggressively “squeegee” shoes clean of both dirt and moisture.
2. Indoor Walk-Off Mats
Just inside entryways, carpet surfaced “walk off mats” are an ideal supplement to outdoor mats. Not only do these heavy duty mats deliver a high degree of traction on slick entryway floors, they also provide a second line of defense against incoming dirt, moisture, and bacteria. After crossing both outdoor mats and indoor walk-off mats, industry experts estimate that up to 60% of incoming debris can be contained and prevented from entering the rest of the facility.
3. Recessed Grill Systems
Some facilities experience such a high degree of visitor inflow and outflow that special solutions are needed. For these facilities, recessed grill systems provide superior cleaning and containment of incoming debris.
4. Crowd Control Systems
Beyond the entryway, property owners must make an effort to control crowds, keep products accessible, and provide service in an efficient manner. Crowd control systems can help, giving managers the ability to assemble custom line queues to organize customers according to their needs. Moreover, effective crowd management can significantly improve the rate at which customers are serviced, which ultimately enhances both revenue and customer experience.
5. Umbrella Bag Dispensers
Both rain and snow present a serious problem for property owners, particularly when guests rush throw entryways with wet or snow covered umbrellas. On days of inclement weather, wet umbrellas track water well beyond the absorbent surfaces of entrance mats, causing puddles and slick spots in hard-to-see areas. Wet umbrella bag dispensers provide a highly effective solution, enabling guests to wrap their umbrellas upon entering the building.
Shop Automatic Wet Umbrella Wrappers
Visit Umbrella Bagger for additional information on wet umbrella bag dispensers, disposable bags, and other safety products. For order information and assistance, call toll free 1-855-328-8100.
Washington DC Businesses Welcome Automatic Umbrella Wrappers This Fall
More and more, businesses are beginning to invest in unique products that enhance overall customer experience. From multi-channel customer relationship management (CRM) systems to customer-driven social media campaigns, organizations are embracing the idea that up-front investment in customer-centric products and services can translate to long term revenue, loyalty, and repeat business. Not all investments in customer experience are digital, however.
In some cases, investments in customer experience might include physical products that improve the in-store sales process. Accessible product displays, for example, make it easy and entertaining for customers to try products prior to purchase. Vibrant logo mats likewise improve customer experience, reinforcing the company’s brand image while also keeping heavily trafficked customer areas clean, dry, and safe. During rainy months, another new and unique product has rapidly risen in popularity among businesses in our nation’s capital: wet umbrella bag dispensers.
It’s easy to see what wet umbrella bag stands– the units that dispense disposable plastic bags in which visitors store wet umbrellas– are such a popular product this fall. The product itself provides 2 valuable benefits to both visitors and businesses. For visitors, the forward-thinking safety solutions serve to tame otherwise pesky wet umbrellas, making it easy for customers to stay neat and dry while shopping. This function confers a substantial benefit to the business or property owner as well, preventing the accumulation of rainwater on floor spaces that ultimately causes slips, trips, falls, and liability.
Aiming for a Safe, User-Friendly Fall
But just how big of a problem are slip and fall accidents this fall? To answer this important question, we turn to two authorities on workplace safety and accident prevention. The first is the Liberty Mutual Research Institute, an organization that produced a study in 2010 indicating that slip and fall accidents at work cost American businesses upwards of $13 billion in 2008 alone (i).
If the Liberty Mutual statistic isn’t alarming enough, businesses and property owners can look to American insurance company CNA. In 2010, CNA produced a case study in which 57% of property owners reported slip and fall accidents as the most costly and time consuming category of disputes in 2008 (ii).
Read More on Wet Umbrella Bag Stands
Visit Umbrella Bagger online or click here to download the press release.
Sources:
(i) “Workplace Safety Index.” Liberty Mutual Research Institute. Accessed 2 August 2013.
(ii) “New Techniques for Preventing Slips and Falls.” CNA. Accessed 8 September 2013.
Customer Experience Enhancement for Retail Businesses
In today’s thrive to survive world, businesses must go above and beyond the norms of the past to create an experience that will attract, convert, and retain customers. There are countless ways to achieve this goal, ranging from simple promotions like back-to-school sales, to thoughtful in-store policies that make shopping a more pleasant experience.
Before attempting to improve customer experience, it is vital for all members of the organization to share a clear definition of what customer experience means. By definition, customer experience is a qualitative value that sums each of the interactions that occur between a customer and a business throughout the lifespan of the relationship they share.
Improve Customer Experience with These Tips
The interactions that make-or-break customer experience does not occur exclusively in-store, however. Digital interactions like TV commercials, radio spots, print ads, email campaigns, and social media all make significant contributions to the overall customer experience. Businesses must be mindful of this when creating a customer experience enhancement program.
Make a Good First Impression
Making a good first impression sets a solid foundation for building a positive customer experience. In general, the goal should be to make the customer as comfortable as possible. In return, the customer can more easily be guided to an appropriate purchase that he or she will make with confidence. This can be accomplished through both in-store ambiance, as well as with well-trained customer service professionals.
- Use a color scheme that resonates with the goal of your business. If you are a travel agency, vibrant colors and earthy décor can aid in creating the “escape” experience that your customers desire. For banks and financial institutions, however, a cooler color scheme with blacks, deep blues, and graphite accents can promote feelings of safety and confidence.
- Maintain a professional appearance. Use floor mats, signs, and other safety products to promote a clean and professional appearance during business hours. During fall and winter months, offer customers an easy way to stow their wet umbrellas with wet umbrella bag stands.
- Focus on comprehensive employee training. list (clear protocol for handling specific types of customer interactions, ongoing training to improve service, training to learn about new products/ services, etc) To create an excellent customer experience, employees must be prepared to handle customer complaints—both the common and the rare.
Maintain a Safe Environment
Creating a safe and professional environment is just the starting point. Once created, management must devise practical strategies for maintaining a safe in-store environment.
- Regularly clean floor spaces along heavily trafficked areas, like entryways and elevator lobbies.
- Designate specific members of the maintenance team as responsible for reporting and responding to dangerous conditions, like puddles, faulty product displays, illegible warning signs, and other potentially hazardous elements within the retail space.
- When offering wet umbrella bags to customers on days of inclement weather, make sure dispenser stands are properly deployed and remind maintenance staffs to check them throughout peak hours, re-stocking with additional bags when necessary.
Focus on Touch Points to Enhance Customer Experience
As we’ve seen, enhancing customer experience in today’s digitally connected world requires businesses to identify and connect with customers in both real-world and virtual. While in-store promotions attract customers to physical storefronts, it’s digital channels like social media and email that often nurture customers until they are ready to make a purchase. By considering, business professionals can devise a comprehensive strategy for delivering a higher level of service that ultimately leads to a better experience, both in the store and online.
Visit Umbrella Bagger for additional information on wet umbrella bag dispensers, disposable bags, and other safety products. For order information and assistance, call toll free 1-855-328-8100.
For follow-up reading, visit this article on customer experience via Forrester, a global research and advisory board.
Keys to Crowd Management for Retailers
Perhaps the most well-known retail sales event of the year is Black Friday, the day that immediately follows Thanksgiving Day and is synonymous with deep discounts and unruly crowds. In 2008, the dangerous mob mentality of retail crowds was fully realized when a Wal-mart employee was trampled to death within seconds of the mega-store’s early morning opening.
In the wake of such tragedy, it becomes increasingly important for retail outlets to proactively anticipate and manage crowds, particularly when a holidays, big sales events, or bouts of inclement weather make operations inherently more dangerous. This is not a new responsibility, however.
As early as 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act extends responsibility to employers for making workplaces a safe and healthy environment for employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) further encourages employers to deploy methods of identifying and neutralizing hazards in the workplace, which can include large crowds.
Crowd Management for Retailers: Tips from OSHA
Retailers are encouraged to review the following tips from OSHA on effective crowd management in retail outlets. To make it easier for employers to foresee and prevent dangerous situations, OSHA advises that events be characterized and considered along 4 distinct phases: Event Planning, Event Setup, and Event Execution.
Event Planning
- Hire additional staff to monitor and control areas where larger crowds are expected. Depending on the event, employers or property owners may wish to hire police officers and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to standby in case of emergency.
- Take proactive measures to ensure each employee is properly trained to handle his or her responsibilities during the event.
- Delegate the responsibility of dialing 9-1-1- for emergencies to a specific individual, should an emergency occur.
- Collaborate with in-store managers and other safety specialists to develop an Emergency Plan that details a course of action for all likely emergencies. Emergency Plans should focus on protecting employees from common dangers like overcrowding, being stuck in a crowd, violent acts, and fire.
Event Setup
- Use crowd control measures to encourage crowds to flow in a safe and effective manner. Products to use include barriers, ropes, stanchions, and signs.
- Designate an employee to help approaching customers enter the crowd control queue in a safe and orderly manner.
- Make sure all employees have communication devices (i.e. radios) with fully charged batteries.
- Consider controlling visitor flow by issuing bracelets or tickets that grant entry during a specific time window.
- If there are certain products that can easily be sold online, consider offering a special for those items (i.e. free shipping) to make the sale without requiring customers to visit the storefront.
- Distribute sale items, along with their respective banners/ sales displays, throughout the facility to avoid overcrowding in certain areas.
Event Execution
- Give employees an easy way to enter/exit the facility through special “Employee Only” areas.
- Always alert employees prior to the opening of main doors/ other crowded points of entry.
- Consider aligning police officers or other uniformed personnel along major areas of entry/exit to encourage crowds to remain orderly.
- Communicate with crowds via speakers, bullhorns, or other audible means.
- Be vigilant in monitoring occupancy, and cut-off entrants as soon as occupancy is reached.
- Provide a safe and accessible entrance for individuals with disabilities.
To review this fact sheet in full, visit OSHA® online.
Learn More About Accident Prevention During Events
To learn more about preventing accidents with industry-leading safety products, contact Umbrella Bagger online or call customer services for complimentary consultation at 855-328-8100.
Miami Businesses Use Umbrella Wrappers to Promote Safety This Hurricane Season
As the threat of heavy wind and rain keeps Miami homeowners on edge, local businesses are taking measures to weather the storm. Throughout the community, storefronts, hotels, and other commercial facilities are taking actionable steps to keep normal operating hours and improve visitor safety. Investing in new lighting, signage, handrails, floor mats, and other facility safety products is critical, each of which contributes to protecting businesses from liability during such a dangerous season.
This summer, a new product has emerged to keep facilities clean, dry, and safe. Aptly named Umbrella Baggers bag-and-stow wet umbrellas so visitors can carry them throughout the facility, without leaving a trail of dangerous rainwater.
Improving Safety Through Stowing Wet Umbrellas
Few regions present greater weather-related challenges to American business owners than Miami. Known as the “Gateway to the Americas,” Miami is a transportation hub for millions of people and billions of tons of cargo annually. And while scorching hot summer temperatures make warehousing and logistics operations a trying endeavor, the wind and rain of hurricane season imposes severe risk and danger on retail business owners and shoppers alike.
And while operations cannot cease under the threat of pending storms, business owners nevertheless turn their focus to improving visitor safety through proactive accident prevention. In doing so, floors become a focal point, leading facilities to invest in matting and other safety products that prevent slip and fall accidents.
Why Invest in Wet Umbrella Wrappers?
There are certain situations in which floor mats, handrails, signs, and adequate lighting can fall short in preventing accidents. In such situation is when a guest carries a wet umbrella into a facility, leaving a trail of rainwater that can cause puddles, slips, and falls.
Wet Umbrella Wrappers provide an effective solution to this problem. Our new line of Automatic Wet Umbrella Wrappers are a premium solution, giving guests the ability to bag and stow their umbrella in one simple motion. To learn more, visit this article on why wet umbrellas are a safety concern.
Thinking About Liability This Season
Slip and fall accidents might trigger liability claims, making it vital that businesses invest in safety products and employee education initiatives that prevent liability before it becomes a costly issue. Liability prevention becomes increasingly important in times of inclement weather, as heightened wind, rain, and other elements make business environments more dangerous.
For tips on how to prevent accidents and keep employees mindful of these issues, visit this article on liability prevention.
Download Press Release: To download the official press release, click here.
Slip and Fall Accident Prevention
No matter what the industry, slip and fall accidents are a cause for concern. The stakes are high, as accidents cost businesses inordinate amounts of time, money, and other valuable resources. By focusing on slip and fall accident prevention, businesses can proactively limit their exposure to risk, liability, and loss.
After assembling a maintenance and safety team that understands the risks associated with facility operations, it’s time to identify the top causes of workplace accidents. In paying attention to these factors, teams will be better able to identify and disarm potentially dangerous conditions, before they cause an accident.
Top 5 Causes of Accidents
Dirt and Soil
Dirt and soil are among the most common causes for accidents. Like liquid and moisture accumulation, dirt and soil can make floor surfaces slippery and difficult to walk across.
What to Look For: Maintenance crews should pay close attention to the exterior of the facility, particularly sidewalks, stairways, and ramps that lead from parking lot to main entrance. Areas bordered by grass, flower beds, and other landscaping are particularly prone to dirt and soil accumulation on rainy days. Crews can use push brooms, hoses, and pressure washers to keep these heavily trafficked walkways safe. Additionally, outdoor/weatherproof rubber entrance mats can be used to clean debris from guests’ shoes before entering the building.
Smooth Entryway Floors
Just inside the entryway, floor spaces represent another area that maintenance crews and managers should monitor. These areas typically feature granite, hardwood, tile, and other smooth surfaces that become extremely slippery and dangerous when wet.
What to Look For: Puddles, spills, and other liquid accumulation are the most dangerous things to watch for. Crews are to mop and sweep these conditions as soon as they occur to prevent accidents. Use of walk-off mats is also recommended. These highly absorbent mats ensure maximum containment of liquid while also providing traction and a clean place to wipe one’s shoes.
Rainwater Accumulation
Entryways become especially dangerous on rainy days. In times of inclement weather, crews and managers are wise to remain on “high alert” for the accumulation of puddles and other dangerous situations.
What to Look For: Watch for guests who leave wet umbrellas by the entryway. A common practice, this unfortunate habit can promote puddles while also presenting a tripping hazard that is hard to see. Use wet umbrella bag stands and visible signage to encourage guests to quickly and conveniently stow their umbrellas. These simple products are a quick fix that goes a long way in maintaining the professional appearance of the lobby/ reception area while also preventing accidents.
Untidy Mats
Floor mats are exceptional when it comes to keeping floors clean, dry, and safe. However, they are only effective when they are properly placed.
What to Look For: Crews must check-in on floor mats to make sure they do not become disoriented, flipped, rolled, or otherwise tangled during peak business hours. Additionally, mats must be laundered regularly to ensure maximum retention of incoming moisture and debris.
Indoor/Outdoor Stairways and Ramps
Though they are a common part of everyday life, stairways and ramps can be a dangerous obstacle, especially on days of inclement weather.
What to Look For: Make sure steps, landing areas, and ramps are clear of all debris and moisture. Clean when they become untidy, and invest in stair treads, landing area tiles, and “grit strips” to improve traction. Crews must also pay attention to overhead/ outdoor lighting, making sure to replace light bulbs regularly to ensure maximum visibility at all times. The use of warning signs and placards is also recommended to alert guests of stairways, ramps, and other abrupt transitions.
Learn More About Accident Prevention
To learn more about preventing accidents with industry-leading safety products, contact Umbrella Bagger online or call customer services for complimentary consultation at 855-328-8100.
Guest may learn more about the real costs of slip and fall accidents by logging on to the National Floor Safety Instituteonline.
Avoiding Costly Litigation: Visitors, Wet Umbrellas, and Liability
Accident prevention is a focal point for many businesses, particularly those in the retail, hospitality, and other services industries. In preventing accidents, property owners proactively limit their exposure to liability, ensuring that operations are not sidetracked by costly litigation. In this article, we explore the duties that property owners owe to guests and the ways in which businesses can be proactive in preventing rainy day accidents.
Property Owner Liability: Understanding Your Duty
To understand why wet umbrellas present such a risk to businesses and property owners, it is helpful to first cover a few basics on property owner liability. A legal concept, property owner liability explores the extent to which the owner of a storefront, facility, or other piece of property is responsible, or liable, for the incidents that occur on the premises.
By law, all property owners have a responsibility to both keep their premises relatively safe while also warning guests of potential dangers. However, the degree to which commercial and even residential property owners are liable for others varies depending on whether the guest is a trespasser, licensee, or invitee.
Who Is Your Guest? Trespassers are those individuals who enter a piece of property without the permission of the owner. Licensees are deemed “informal” guests, and owners have a certain degree of responsibility to keep them safe. Invitees are individuals who are “invited” onto the premises, either expressly or under the assumption that they will do business.
In this way, customers, clients, and any other individual who is invited to do business is considered an invitee by law. As invitees, property owners owe these individuals the highest degree of care and might be deemed liable for the injuries they sustain while on the property.
Top 5 Facts About Property Owner Liability
To prevent claims of liability from crippling your business, take a moment to review these quick facts about property owner liability. Take a strong step towards effective liability prevention by reviewing these concepts with employees, especially those who manage customer relations or maintenance.
- If you invite a guest on to your property to conduct business, you might be liable for the injuries they sustain.
- Property owners have 4 specific responsibilities to commercial guests, or invitees: i) Regularly inspect the property; ii) Find dangerous conditions; iii) Warn invitees of the danger; iv) Repair all dangerous conditions, to the maximum extent possible.
- Negligence can arise if you fail to perform the duties listed above.
- Liability by Omission: Failure to act might trigger liability.
- Employers are liable for the negligence of their employees.
How Do Wet Umbrellas Trigger Liability Claims?
After reviewing the basic concepts of property owner liability (sometimes also referred to as premises liability), it is easy to see how wet umbrellas might lead to accidents and costly liability claims for business owners. Here are the 3 most common ways that wet umbrellas might cause accidents, as explored in last week’s article, Why Are Wet Umbrellas Dangerous?
1. Entrance Mats Provide Limited Safety
Entrance mats are designed to dry shoes, contain moisture/debris, and improve overall safety and walking conditions. They are not designed to maintain the rainwater that wet umbrellas are known to track past entryways, however, especially when guests do the shake and splash.
2. Guest Shake Umbrellas, Splash Water Across Floor
In an attempt to dry their umbrellas, guests often open and close them repeatedly while just inside the entryway. And while this might be effective in drying the umbrella, it also sends streams of rainwater, snow and ice well beyond the entrance mats. This is particularly dangerous because the liquid accumulates into puddles in areas that guests and maintenance staffs might not expect. The longer the puddles linger, the larger and more dangerous they become.
3. Slips and Falls Cost Billions
According to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, slip and fall accidents cost American businesses an estimated $13 billion in workers compensation and other costs. Though the study focused primarily on employee-related workplace injuries, it nevertheless illustrates that slip and fall accidents are common, costly, and a priority when it comes to liability prevention.
Limit Your Liability with Effective Safety Products
To learn more about our state of the art umbrella bag dispensers, visit our Automatic Wet Umbrella Wrappers online store. Readers are also invited to contact customer service at 855-328-8100.