People tend to treat slip-and-fall incidents as random and unpredictable. While it is true that a slip-and-fall may occur with little forewarning, most same-level falls are theoretically preventable. Retail establishments and restaurants are aware that slip-and-fall injuries could cost the company quite a bit of money.
Despite that awareness, the business may still choose not to adhere to best practices regarding the safety of visitors in the maintenance of its spaces. Many companies put short-term profit margins ahead of long-term financial exposure. One common practice at retail establishments may significantly increase the likelihood of a customer suffering an injury in a slip-and-fall incident.
How can businesses contribute to slip-and-fall risk?
With routine understaffing
Paying hourly workers for their time is one of the biggest expenses incurred by retail establishments. Management may choose to intentionally understaff the facility as a way of maximizing profits. They schedule the bare minimum number of workers based on historical performance on that particular day or corporate recommendations.
The workers on the schedule may barely be able to keep up with customer assistance and cash register obligations. They may not have time to inspect facilities and clean throughout their shifts. Spills and other issues may sit unattended to until the shop closes for the evening.
While understaffing does keep costs low, this practice also results in workers ignoring unsafe property conditions. Understaffing also contributes to worker burnout, leaving them less likely to be proactive about issues that could cost the company money.
With deferred repairs or maintenance
While less common than understaffing, which is nearly universal in the retail sector, delays in critical repairs and maintenance can also cause preventable slip-and-fall incidents. Maybe a refrigeration unit or freezer keeps producing condensation, which then drips onto the floor when people open the device to obtain chilled merchandise.
Perhaps there is a leak from the ceiling or failing weather stripping around a door that causes puddling near the entrance during rainstorms. Delaying those repairs or maintenance can help management balance the operating budget for the month. However, those deferred issues could result in someone slipping, falling and getting seriously hurt.
Provided that injured visitors can show that a company failed to do something that was clearly necessary for safety, they may have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit based on negligence. Allowing a facility to be unsafe can result in a slip-and-fall and may generate premises liability for the organization operating the business.