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:

1. November 29th: Black Friday
2. December 21st: Super Saturday
3. December 22nd
4. December 20th
5. December 14th
6. December 23rd
7. December 26th (the day following Christmas)
8. November 30th (Saturday following Black Friday)
9. December 7th
10. 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

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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.

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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

1. 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.
2. Take proactive measures to ensure each employee is properly trained to handle his or her responsibilities during the event.
3. Delegate the responsibility of dialing 9-1-1- for emergencies to a specific individual, should an emergency occur.
4. 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

1. Use crowd control measures to encourage crowds to flow in a safe and effective manner. Products to use include barriers, ropes, stanchions, and signs.
2. Designate an employee to help approaching customers enter the crowd control queue in a safe and orderly manner.
3. Make sure all employees have communication devices (i.e. radios) with fully charged batteries.
4. Consider controlling visitor flow by issuing bracelets or tickets that grant entry during a specific time window.
5. 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.
6. Distribute sale items, along with their respective banners/ sales displays, throughout the facility to avoid overcrowding in certain areas.

Event Execution

1. Give employees an easy way to enter/exit the facility through special “Employee Only” areas.
2. Always alert employees prior to the opening of main doors/ other crowded points of entry.
3. Consider aligning police officers or other uniformed personnel along major areas of entry/exit to encourage crowds to remain orderly.
4. Communicate with crowds via speakers, bullhorns, or other audible means.
5. Be vigilant in monitoring occupancy, and cut-off entrants as soon as occupancy is reached.
6. 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.

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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.

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Umbrellas, Rainwater, and Safety

Many businesses are hesitant to invest in new safety products that do not offer a direct and tangible benefit to the bottom line. In today’s economy, managers and risk management teams are often under immense pressure to focus on technological investments that yield large-scale efficiencies in major areas of business operations like manufacturing, marketing, and research and development.

Visitor safety and customer relationship management are essential focal points for businesses looking to increase revenues and efficiencies, however, particularly those involved in retail sales, property management, and the hospitality industry. For these businesses, wet umbrella bag stands provide numerous benefits at a low cost that is easy to manage.

To more easily make this cost-benefit analysis, it helps to assess the 4 main reasons why wet umbrellas are dangerous for business.

1. Entrance Mats Dry Shoes Only

Businesses that feel entrance matting and safety signs are adequate in preventing slip and fall accidents are wise to reconsider the reach of their safety initiatives. Rubber mats, carpet mats, and other flooring materials are highly effective in wiping the dirt and moisture from the soles of shoes. However, they do not prevent moisture and debris from being carried past the entryway by umbrellas. Moreover, guests who perform the “Shake and Splash” inevitably throw rainwater, snow, and ice well past entrance mats and on to lobby floors.

2. Guests Are Prone to the ‘Shake and Splash’

We’ve all seen it before: A guest quickly enters the building, taking refuge from the storm outside. They carefully wipe their shoes repeatedly, consciously trying to avoid a slip and fall. Then, they vigorously open and close their wet umbrella several times, shaking it dry so they may carry it more comfortably throughout the interior of the building.

The problem: The popular “Shake and Splash” move throws precipitation beyond the reach of entrance mats. Rainwater, snow, and/or ice are left to melt and form dangerous puddles on uncovered areas of lobby floors. Responsibility then falls on the shoulders of the maintenance staff to clean the mess before another guest accidentally slips and falls. And for commercial locations that experience a great deal of visitor inflow/outflow, or for those with limited maintenance resources, the risk of accident increases with each guest who arrives.

3. Slip and Fall Accidents Are a Costly Problem

Slip and fall accidents are a costly problem, and it’s estimated that American businesses lost approximately $12 billion to such insurance claims in 2010 alone. This figure is courtesy of the Liberty Mutual Research Institute, and it was published in the organization’s annual safety report titled 2012 Workplace Safety Index. The report also indicated that slip and fall accidents are 1 of the 10 most costly categories of workplace accidents that has actually increased in cost since 1998.

4. Property Owners May Face Liability

By law, property owners are required to take reasonable measures to keep premises safe for those who visit. Property owners owe the highest level of duty and care for invitees—those individuals who are invited on to the premises. It’s vital for business owners to understand that a vast number of jurisdictions consider customers to be invitees, as the opportunity to conduct business in the store/on location carries with it an unspoken invitation to enter.

And while lawmakers do not require business owners to give guests a disposable umbrella bag on rainy days, they do require property owners to take reasonable efforts to keep the premises safe. This includes covering slippery floors with floor mats that increase traction, as well as proactively cleaning liquid accumulation and dangerous puddles. In this way, wet umbrella bag dispensers keep businesses a step ahead, preventing rainwater accumulation and the liability that comes with it.

Learn More About Wet Umbrella Bag Dispensers

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.

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