How to Improve Safety on Exterior Staircases

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a torrential downpour, having to climb five flights of stairs in your mall’s parking garage to get to your car? One the one hand, you want to rush up the stairs to get to your car and out of the pouring rain, but on the other hand, you know that the stairs are probably slippery and you end up ascending slowly and cautiously to avoid slipping, all the while getting drenched. Exterior staircases are always exposed to the elements which can make them more treacherous and dangerous to climb than their indoor counterparts. That is why it is important to implement the use of exterior stair treads, to help protect from those added dangers the elements present.

Large parking garages at shopping malls are not the only example of exterior staircases. They can be found at many other public spaces, such as swimming pools or water parks, as well as theme parks. But they can also be found in residential spaces, such as apartment building staircases or home patios and decks. No matter where these exterior staircases are found, exterior stair treads are imperative for keeping patrons, employees, and families safe.

Safety should always be a priority in both these public and private spaces. The responsibility of making a property safe falls on the property owner. When it comes to public spaces, such as the theme parks or parking garages, taking the proper safety precaution protects you, your employees, and your patrons from any serious accident or injury. Like the above example of a downpour at the parking garage, or something as small as a spilled soda in the line for the tallest roller coaster at a theme park, accidents are waiting to happen. Even in private residences or work places, it is important to protect family members, such as young children, and guests coming into your home, from accidents caused by unsafe exterior staircases. There are numerous options for making these staircases safe with exterior stair treads, that work well for both public and private spaces.

When the necessary precautions (such as exterior stair treads) are not taken to make these spaces safe, there can be serious consequences. First and foremost, someone can get hurt. The World Health Organization found that falls are the second leading cause of death due to accidental injury in the world, second only to car accidents, with 424,000 deaths per year (WHO). These sorts of serious accidents can ruin the lives of those injured as well as their families, and those who own the property where the fall took place are often held legally responsible. Lawsuits not only cost you a lot of money, they cost you a lot of time and a loss of reputation. The best way to avoid the headaches of a lawsuit and the injury of a patron or employee is to make your exterior staircases as safe as possible, including the use of exterior stair treads.

If exterior stair treads are installed, whether it is at a theme park or your private home patio, the benefits are significant. First and foremost, risk is significantly reduced. Exterior stair treads provide traction and a greater grip, giving them an anti-slip quality. So even in that hypothetical torrential downpour, the chance of slipping on a step is greatly lowered. Even if an accident were to occur with the exterior stair treads in place, liability is also lowered since you did your part to make the property safer for patrons and employees. The responsibility is no longer yours to prevent injury or accident, and it is now the responsibility of the individual to climb the stairs, since the exterior stair treads are already present. Lastly, because serious injury and lawsuits were prevented, you can save money with the installation of exterior stair treads. The cost of installing them (which is easy to do yourself) is significantly less than if you were injured and had to pay expensive medical bills, or if someone else was hurt and having to pay legal expenses as well as the actual settlement. Taking the safety precaution of having the exterior stair treads implemented is not something that you will regret.

Altogether, the use of exterior stair treads is the best way to create a safer environment for everyone. Any of the exterior staircases can benefit from them, whether it is in your apartment building, local school, or favorite theme park. Making safety the priority is always the right choice.