According to the National Safety Council, “more than 8.5 million people were treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries in 2022. Falls can result in injury or death, and they can also be detrimental to a business.”
While slips and falls are the most common injuries at self-storage businesses, there are other risks that you can be aware of to prevent injury to customers and protect your business.
Types of Injuries
- Slips and falls
- Equipment failure
- Sharp edges
Is your self-storage facility exposed to possible injuries? Among the most common are slips and falls, which can result in many kinds of serious injury. Falls occur due to poor maintenance, standing water, or personal clumsiness. To avoid a fall that could be considered the fault of the business, be sure that all uneven surfaces are marked, free from hazards, and flat. It’s also important to repair anything that needs it.
Regular maintenance also includes things like garage door maintenance to ensure tenant safety. Garage doors should be serviced twice a year. Garage door experts check for issues with springs and properly grease the tracks to maintain optimal function. Some mechanisms can be installed to prevent pinching and crushing accidents. Older self-storage properties should be updated with the latest mechanisms to ensure customer safety. You can read more about garage door safety here:
Sharp and exposed edges also present a common risk to customers on a self-storage property. With regular assessment of the property, sharp edges can be avoided. It’s also important to correct any damage quickly and completely.
Prevention Is Best
The best approach to accidents is prevention. Self-storage businesses can suffer greatly if an accident occurs on the property. There are steps to take to protect your business and your customers.
- Frequent walk-throughs of the property is necessary. Visual inspection is required and should be frequent.
- Train staff to spot potential hazards by taking them on walk-throughs and identifying areas of concern.
- Keep a note of identified risks and the steps taken to correct them.
- Regularly inspect the security camera positions and function to protect all parties.
- Maintain your property with vigilance.
- Keep track of insurance to ensure adequate coverage.
Prevention protects both customers and the business. Prevention is everyone’s responsibility.
What to do when an accident occurs.
If an incident occurs, it’s best to act quickly. First, call 911 or otherwise arrange for medical assistance for the injured person. Next, complete an incident report to record the facts. Note the date, time, and location of the injury. Obtain the names and contact information of all parties involved. If possible, take photos or a video of the scene. Finally, report the situation to your insurance carrier as promptly as possible. The insurer will create a claim number and assign an adjuster to assess the incident. The following information will be needed:
- Insured’s name
- Contact name, phone, and email
- Date of loss
- Full address of the loss location
- Description of event
- Documentation of event (photos, videos, images, etc.
- Claimant’s name and complete contact information
It is ridiculous to think we can create an accident-free world, but it’s also important to mitigate risk to a business and to customers. If an accident occurs, thoroughly document the incident and take photos and camera footage. Additionally, keeping excellent maintenance records is also necessary. Attention to detail is required in any claim situation.
A thorough and documented maintenance plan, along with frequent risk assessments, will demonstrate the owner’s attention to safety on the property. Frequently assess the property for risk and make necessary repairs without hesitation. Check the camera positioning frequently to ensure that cameras capture all positions of the property. Also, be aware that there are people who would seek to create an issue and position themselves outside of the view of cameras. Hiring a risk assessment company is an investment worth considering.
Great business owners pay attention to their property at all times to avoid unnecessary risk to their business, customers, and employees. Good management includes all sides of the business.
At Coastal Storage, we connect investors with properties, and we equip owners to be successful in running their self-storage business. Call us today at 904-591-0140.