With spring in full swing, many people are cleaning up after months of cold, snow and ice. Spring cleaning isn’t just important to make things look nice, either. During the winter, certain safety risks can develop or get covered up and people often put off dealing with them until its warm enough to spend more time outside.
As such, it is crucial for homeowners and business owners to take steps to address certain hazards that can pose a threat to others during the spring and summer months.
- Clear out stairwells: Things like shovels, boots and rugs can become dangerous obstacles in stairwells when the snow and ice clear. Remove these and any other potential problems.
- Look up for hanging hazards: While there may not be icicles hanging down, be sure to look up at gutters, tree branches, signage and other hanging elements near a building. If something is loose or potentially problematic, property owners should repair it.
- Replace lighting: Owners should examine lighting near entrances and in shared indoor spaces like hallways and lobbies. Take note and make sure it provides adequate visibility and replace any burned out bulbs.
- Check out uneven walkways: Patio pavers, bricks and other walkway materials can become loose or uneven during the winter. To prevent anyone from tripping or falling, it can be wise to repair walkways.
- Reassess any pools and hot tubs on the property: It might still be too early for swimming, but now is a good time to make sure pools and hot tubs are secure. Property owners might also consider setting up any appointments that may be necessary to ensure these areas are clean and safe when the time comes to open things up.
Getting into a habit of doing these things every spring can help to keep premises safer and prevent accidents. Unfortunately, there are property owners who fail to do this and allow hazards to threaten the safety of visitors and others.
If you or a loved one get hurt in an accident on a negligent owner’s property, then you could be dealing with serious, painful damages. In these situations, understand that you have the right to examine your legal options, and compensation for your injuries could be available.
