If you are a business, there are certain situations that need to be accounted for and here are a few to name:

• Slippery bathroom tiles
• All areas around a pool
• Dripping ice machine
• Uneven surfaces
• Inadequate lighting
• Loose or broken handrails

If your premise has any of the above, at any time, you are at risk and exposed to a lawsuit. Rather than finding out after the fact, here’s the research… The ruling if your case ever gets in front of a lawyer is “Superior Knowledge”. Here is the legal definition:

Superior knowledge rule refers to a principle that when a property owner has knowledge of some hazardous condition existing on the property and the condition is not obvious to a person exercising reasonable care, the owner must make the premises reasonably safe or else warn others of the hazardous condition.

The most obvious way to prevent exposure is simple… Take proactive efforts in keeping areas clean, safe, and display appropriate warning signs. If there’s a leaky sink, put an anti-slip mat next to it along with a warning sign until the problem is fixed.

If it’s snowing outside and guests are frequently coming in and out of your shop, be sure to remind your customers of the unsafe surface, or wet floor. If you don’t, it will all come back and will get very expensive. Wet or slippery floors are the #1 cause of slips, trips and falls. Slips, trips and falls are the number 1 cause for emergency room visits in the United States.

We hope you find this information useful. Please plan accordingly and don’t forget to Go Bananas for Safety™ with the Banana Cone©!