Is Your Parking Lot Dangerous In Winter? Protect Yourself From Liability!

Dangerous parking lots can be a big liability for businesses in winter. In order to protect your business from liability, you'll need to ensure that your parking lot is as safe as possible, and your insurance coverage is up to date. The following tips will help.

Use Proper De-Icing Salt for the Temperatures

De-icing salts have a minimum temperature requirement. If you use de-icing salt at a time when the temperature outside falls below the salt's minimum temperature, the salt will do nothing to melt the ice. In cases like this, the best thing you can do is to switch to a type of de-icing salt that will work under the current circumstances. If the temperature outside is too low for any type of de-icing salt, switch to sand to provide traction over slippery parts of the parking lot. Sand works well to provide traction, but must be re-applied on a regular basis as more ice continues to form.

Keep De-Icing Salt and Sand Easily Available

Make it easy for your employees to apply salt and sand as needed. Provide large well-stocked barrels of both materials near your company's parking lot. This will help ensure that your employees will keep up with your parking lot's de-icing needs. 

Shovel Slush as the Ice Melts

As salt melts the ice in your parking lot, the ice will form slush. Slush is dangerous because it can melt to form large puddles, and then refreeze into smooth patches of black ice when the temperature outside drops again.

Rope Off Dangerous Parts of the Parking Lot

Have your employees periodically check all parts of your parking lot for dangerous conditions. As parts of your parking lot become too dangerous to traverse, rope off those sections. Put up large signs warning customers and clients to stay away from treacherous part of the parking lot. Use signs and rope that are both brightly colored to ensure that they will be visible against snow and ice.

Update Your Business Casualty Insurance

Your business's casualty insurance should include a liability component. This liability insurance  protects your business in the event that a customer or employee decides to sue for negligence. Talk to your business's insurance agent today to discuss your liability coverage as it currently exists. Your insurance agent will be able to assess your business's casualty insurance needs and will be able tell you whether or not your company is adequately insured. Visit http://www.dki-ins.com for more information.