Building and business owners have a responsibility to the guests and clients that visit their property. Providing a safe environment is crucial to maintaining customers’ trust and retaining your staff. While many significant safety improvements can dig deep into your pockets, some simple measures for improving safety are both effective and affordable. Here are some tips on how to improve the safety of your commercial property without suffering large expenses.
Use Clear Signage and Great Lighting
Property owners should always consider how easy it is to navigate their property when a customer arrives. Signage gives visitors a sense of safety and confidence as they head to their destination and limits opportunities for someone with ill intent to engage with them.
Properties with parking garages or alleys need easy navigation tools, as these areas make it easy for perpetrators to hide from sight. Bright, consistent lighting also dissuades unwanted activity and helps guests feel at ease when visiting the property while it’s dark outside.
Schedule Regular Maintenance for Everything
Even if you designed your property with safety in mind, a lack of maintenance could turn a once-safe environment into a hazard. Property managers and maintenance teams need to think about everything, from the stairwells to the doorways. For example, guard rails can get bumped and experience regular wear and tear that loosens even the best bolts over time. You can even prevent automatic doorway injuries by ensuring the door works properly with scheduled maintenance.
Create a maintenance schedule that goes beyond the obvious to keep your commercial property safe for visitors.
Consider Your Property’s Accessibility
Accessibility and safety often go hand in hand, and it’s important for maintenance teams to think about safety for all mobility types when doing repairs. A crack that’s easy to navigate around on foot can become a hazard for wheelchair users. A heavy door not opening quite right on its hinges is inconvenient for some but dangerous for anyone who can’t support its weight as they try to open it.
Remember that seemingly minor issues can act as significant safety hazards for those who navigate the world differently. Operating an accessible, inclusive business means keeping the building safe for everyone.
Following these tips on how to improve the safety of your commercial property today doesn’t mean you have no work to do tomorrow. With daily wear and tear, building upkeep is a constant process. Still, performing small, recurring tasks to improve safety is more cost-effective and achievable than needing major overhauls.
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