Cold weather, smooth stretch of asphalt pavement, and parking lot safety are such a turbulent mix of elements that we bet you got the hint already. It’s critical to maintain your parking lot in good shape all year long, especially during winter. Ice and snow might cause falls, trips, and skids, which can not only result in bodily harm & fatalities but may also lead to legal action against your company.
Here are some tips from The Pavement Group to forming your winter parking lot safety plan this fall:
1. Assess The Lot for Risks
Conduct a risk assessment of your parking lot to identify potential hazards that aggravate the asphalt pavement damage and pose a trip/slip risk for parking lot users. Do keep typical troubles like cracks and depressions or faded line striping in mind, but also consider risks unique to your establishment, like parking lot elements and hardscape.
2. Install Safety Signage
Keep your asphalt parking lot maintained and install appropriate safety signage that is compliant with ADA requirements. You may consider re-striping your parking lot to assist with parking guidance in snowfall so opt for anti-skid paints for the line striping.
3. Upgrade Poor Lot Lighting
The usual direction is to go for high lumens LED lighting, which presents you with economic power consumption and longer product life. Weigh your options, and decide if your parking lot needs a redesign of the parking lot lighting layout or new bulbs. More light, more visibility, & less consumption are your base criteria.
4. Remove Surface Debris
Clean parking lots have aesthetics required for curb appeal so keep yours shoveled regularly at all business hours. However, clean parking lots can form icy surfaces in winters that present a skid & trip hazard for vehicles & people. Best to use an eco-friendly deicer like used coffee grounds, or you can resort to careful use of deicing salts.
5. Texturize the Asphalt
Freshly shoveled smooth asphalt parking lots look very esoteric in winters and pose an equally dangerous risk of slippery surfaces. If you haven’t yet, then please get your parking lot surfaces texturized for better traction and incorporate anti-skid surface elements at skid-prone regions from your risk assessment.
6. Consider Installing Flood Barriers
Back in August, Hurricane Henri unceremoniously took over much of the parking space in Westchester County with its onslaught of floods. Since the region is prone to flood threats, invest in flood barriers and high parking lot perimeter walls to protect your lot investment & your customers’ property.
Suppose you’re on the hunt for a capable project manager & an equally capable team to take care of the winter parking lot risk assessment & manage repairs within the temperature window in Westchester County, NY. In that case, backed with over two decades of paving experience across multiple states, The Pavement Group knows your pavement needs best!
Please feel free to contact us asap for a winter asphalt parking lot assessment & preventative measures plan, and you can oblige us by checking our free estimates on our services!