The parking lot is the first thing that customers see in your office building. It makes the first impression on your customers. If it doesn’t, there’s a good chance that your customers won’t return to do business with you. Your employees must also feel safe enough to leave their cars in the parking lot for a long time. If they don’t, they will feel dissatisfied with their jobs and look for opportunities somewhere else. In short, your office’s parking lot is more than just a convenient amenity for your customers and employees.
Parking lots with durable commercial LED floodlights are more likely to attract customers and retain employees. By making sure that the parking lot is well-lit, you are making your employees and customers feel safe. You are also preventing injuries caused by falls and trips. These injuries could lead to lawsuits. You are also helping deter crime. More than one in every 10 property crimes occur in parking lots or garages, studies concluded.
Keep Walking Surfaces Clean and Unencumbered
The pathways, walkways, and sideways should be free of debris and clutter. These can cause accidents, especially at night. There should be no potholes and cracks on the surface of the pavement. Parking curbs are frequent reasons for parking lot accidents. If there’s an uneven area of the parking lot, this should be clearly marked. The sidewalk ends and level changes should be marked accordingly as well.
Install Handrails
This is especially important for people with disabilities and senior citizens. If the parking lot tends to change its elevation, make sure that there’s a handrail that can guide people. Handrails and guardrails should be installed for stairs and ramps. They should be of appropriate height so that that they can be useful for pedestrians.
Have Proper Drainage
A proper drainage system in the parking lot is needed to make sure that there is no standing water on the pavement. This can cause fatal injuries from slipping and falling. The water should drain away from pedestrian areas. Additionally, the drain gates should be marked or in contrast with the parking surface to warn people.
Put up Signage
If repairs are being made on the pavement, there should be a sign that says so. If the parking lot has drop-off points for customers and employees, these should be properly marked, too. Mark entrances, exits, landscaped areas, and crosswalks. Make sure that there are signs on the pavement, too, to guide drivers and pedestrians. Areas for people with disabilities should be clearly marked as well.
Secure the Premises
The parking lot should be well-lit. If the office building operates until nighttime, there should be adequate lights even during these hours. You can also install security cameras or pay personnel to roam the area, especially at night. For those working there at night, opt for a buddy system so that no one has to walk in the parking lot alone.
Maintaining your parking lot is not only for the convenience of your customers and employees. Your primary concern should be their safety. Your parking lot has a role to play in attracting customers, retaining employees, and keeping them both safe from harm.
