As the stormy season approaches and parts of the country gear up for an extremely wet 2016, retail store owners need to start planning for factors outside the world of merchandising equipment and display hooks. Wet weather can be hard on boutique retail shops as well as grocery and department stores alike due to a few common environmental factors. We’ve gathered 3 tips for store owners to keep in mind to promote the safety of their patrons and employees when the weather outside gets frightful.
1. Prepare your store’s property inside and out
According to Cerritos Legal, “store owners have a duty to keep their property–inside and outside–safe for customers.” This means that sidewalks must be smooth, parking lots must be level, stairs must have safety rails and walkways must be clear and free of debris (to name a few things). AND – of course – these are all factors that take place BEFORE customers reach your beautiful window displays.
Inside the store, owners are responsible for keeping walkways clear of anything that might cause customers to trip or slip. Be sure your aisles, shelves, sign hanging hardware and merchandising systems are designed to keep the customer’s path clear while visually guiding them to your big-ticket products. Drop ceiling hanging clips make it easy to keep floors clear of potential trouble by suspending signs and products from above.
Scheduled inspections of areas where re-stocking merchandise might leave items out of place – or potential problem areas such as leaky grocery store produce sprayers – are crucial. A well-organized and properly supervised store will be easier to maintain on a regular basis AND will also be much easier to deal with when bad weather hits.
2. Have your rainy day game plan and equipment ready to go
Retail stores should have everything needed for a rainy day – long before the first storm hits. Rainy days bring customers with wet feet, dripping umbrellas and very slippery floors. Be sure you have the proper store signs and safety cones to warn customers of slippery floors AND put them in place at the first sign of rain. You can try reducing wetness by providing extra floor mats near the entrance, too, but be sure to keep an eye on them as they have a tendency to bunch up.
When it rains heavily you will also need to watch out for puddles that might form in the parking lot or walkways. Puddles can cover up uneven patches in the ground creating hidden potholes, which can be very dangerous to unsuspecting ankles. Remember to be proactive about the situation and keep everyone’s well-being a top priority, because as retail store owners you are on the hook to keep things safe.
3. Be proactive with inspections and fixes
Store owner’s have an obligation to regularly inspect their property and look for hazards that might intrude upon the safety of their guests. This includes regular inspection of the premises as we have previously described, however, after heavy rains there might be a need to assess water damage. Be sure to dry your store out as thoroughly as possible and call in professional help if you ever find leaks experience a flooded building. Moist environments allow mold to grow, which can create unsafe conditions for humans.
If you suspect your building might have a mold problem, be sure to call in a Registered Environmental Property Assessor to take samples. An advanced environmental testing and consulting company, such as Adviro, can help identify the problem and guide the remediation process to keep your building open for business. Make sure ahead of time that the mold inspection specialists will send samples to a certified lab AND deliver clear, concise and detailed reports with pictures, diagrams, certifications and regulatory documentation based on the findings. These guys should also provide asbestos testing services in case you need to renovate part of your store. They can help reduce the risk of the dangerous materials during building repairs so asbestos lawyers won’t be needed in the future!
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