The winter season is fast approaching, and with it comes a rush of holiday shoppers eager to find the perfect gifts. Whatever the conditions — snow, ice or freezing temperatures — customers will brave the elements to make their holiday purchases.
However, once the holidays end, businesses must continue to entice people to leave their warm and comfortable homes even during bad weather. Otherwise, it can be hard to stay afloat during the off-season. One way to keep your business full of customers in the off-season is to make sure your exterior walkways and driveways are safe for everyone.
Sidewalk and Walkway Snow Removal
If your business owns the property, you are responsible for its entire exterior. This is especially true if you do not have tenants leasing space on your property. In cases like outdoor shopping malls, tenants may be responsible for certain areas of exterior maintenance. Regardless of who handles the snow removal, Minnesota laws require a standard of care regarding snow removal on the walkways of commercial properties.
In most cases, businesses are best served by going well beyond the minimum standard of care. This helps in two ways: to keep customers interested in visiting the establishment and to avoid lawsuits resulting from slips and falls in front of a commercial business. Should a fall occur, even if your business was within the legal standard of care, the bad publicity could keep customers away from your business until spring.
Commercial Driveway and Parking Lot Snow Removal
Driveways are another area in which commercial properties must stay diligent with snow removal. Minnesota law actually prohibits commercial properties from piling up snow in driveways. However, more importantly, the snow can be a hindrance to drivers attempting to maneuver around your parking lot. Unmaintained lots cause problems with traction and make it difficult to see the lines and signs needed to properly park and move about in the lot.
By keeping your parking spaces well-maintained, you provide customers and employees with a positive experience as they can park and move around the property safely. Snow buildup in parking lots discourages traffic and increases the chances of slips, car accidents, and other hazards. These can lead to costly lawsuits, damaging your business’s reputation.
Therefore, as a business, it is essential to contract a snow removal company to help maintain your walkways and driveways. This goes for everything from the smallest to the most profound snowfalls throughout the winter. A reputable company will help ensure your business is safe for pedestrians and drivers alike, keeping your business thriving throughout the slowest time of the year. More importantly, these companies will help keep you compliant with the ordinances in your municipality while also helping keep your business property safe for your employees and customers.
Commercial Ice Management
In addition to snow removal, all parking lots, sidewalks, and walkways should be treated to remove ice buildup. Before a freeze or snowstorm, apply ice melt or salt brine to surfaces to make it easier to clear ice and snow afterward. De-icing after a freeze or winter storm helps break down and remove the ice and make the ground safer for pedestrians and vehicles to navigate.
When you partner with the right services provider, this will be a subset of their snow removal services. They will use the appropriate equipment, materials, and expertise to manage ice effectively, with consistent monitoring and quick response times during severe conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Snow removal is a crucial part of your business operations, from complying with local regulations to ensuring customer and employee safety. Some additional questions we receive about this topic range from pricing to additional safety tips:
What Should You Look For in Snow Removal Services?
Consistent, thorough snow removal throughout winter maintains safety and compliance with local ordinances. A reputable snow removal service will do more than plowing. They will develop and stick to a comprehensive plan for maintaining safe, accessible walkways, hauling snow away, and proactively responding to major storms.
What Are Winter Safety Tips for Employees?
By implementing some essential safety measures, your business can help protect its employees from winter-related injuries and prevent instances of being short-staffed or workplace injury compensations. Some tips include:
- Having proper lighting so employees can see potential hazards
- Instructing employees to wear slip-resistant boots or shoes with good traction to prevent slips and falls
- Promoting safe lifting practices when they help with light snow removal to prevent overexertion
- Staying informed about weather conditions to prevent unnecessary travel in dangerous conditions
How Much Does Snow Removal Cost?
Snow removal service pricing depends on the amount of snow being removed, potential treatments before and after, and the square footage of the area being cleaned out.
Partner With Green & Black LLC for Winter Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention
Ensure your premises are accessible, safe, and welcoming during the harsh winter weather to keep your business thriving during the off-season. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is to prioritize ice and snow management on your property’s exterior sidewalks, walkways, and parking lots.
At Green & Black LLC, we take winter safety seriously. For over 90 years, our team has provided reliable winter snow and ice services to communities, retail stores, office buildings, and commercial properties. We haul the snow away, pre-treat your sidewalks to minimize buildup, and use state-of-the-art scheduling software that lets us respond to snow events in real time.
Learn more about proper snow removal for your business, contact the experts at Green & Black LLC at 651-356-9193.