Restaurant and retail operatorsare responsible for the safety of the people invited onto theirpremises. (Photo: iStock)

Throughout the year, severe weather nationwide creates hazardsthat prove costly for restaurants, grocery stores and otherretailers such as convenience stores.

In fact, the No. One cause of loss in our book of business atArgo Group's U.S. Grocery & Retail division isslip-and-fall injuries. Weather is a factor in many of them.

Restaurant and retail operators are responsible for the safety of the people invited onto theirpremises. Here's what to be aware of and how you can reducerisks to limit the frequency and severity of losses.

Wet floor headaches

Slips and falls accounted for 29,830 injuries and 29 deaths in2016, according to the National Safety Council, and they affectboth customers and employees. In the former case, slips and fallsare the number one driver of incidents and claims costs. In thelatter case, slips and falls are one of the leading causes of workers'compensation claims and lost days from work.

In 2011, the average total cost per claim was more than $43,000.Beyond that, defending against slip-and-fall claims costsbusinesses an average of $50,000 per incident. For restaurantsalone, those claims costs account for the largest portionof risk-related expenses.

Wet floors are a leading factor in these incidents. Sometimesthey're caused by major events such as blizzards or Nor'easters.Other times, they're simply due to heavy rainfall.

Both inside and outside a facility, rain, snow and ice can provedangerous to customers and employees, with injuries that result inclaims and possible litigation. Yet many of these incidents can beprevented.

Mitigating risks must be a top priority during inclementweather. Measures that can be taken range from common senseadjustments to those that employ new and emerging technology.

Start simple

Prevention begins with planning. Check your weather forecastsdiligently, especially in areas where severe weather can occursuddenly. Managers should set up severe weather alerts on theirphones using weather apps. Never let a weather event surprise yourbusiness.

When wet weather is on the way, slip-resistant walk-off mats inhigh-traffic areas such as entrances and exits are an effectivefirst line of defense. Don't just put them down, though. Make surethey're rotated and replaced at regular intervals, and have sparedry mats ready. Per the ASTM F1637-10 standard: “Mats, runners … shall beprovided, as needed, during inclement weather. Replacement of matsor runners may be necessary when they become saturated.” Also, keep“wet floor” signs on hand to mark any areas that present a sliphazard.

If possible, station employees by the entrance to warn customersas they enter to wipe their feet and watch their step. It's apersonal touch that can dramatically decrease slip and fall claims.And of course, all restaurants and retailers need to scheduleroutine inspections so that hazards can be detected and addressedbefore they lead to incidents. Training is key, so that employeesare familiar with all procedures. In the case of wet floors, haveemployees mop up and dry any wet areas immediately and mark themoff with signs until completely dry. When possible, increase thefrequency of inspections during inclement weather or even duringtimes of year when weather events take place more frequently.

Use technology

In addition to the above-mentioned actions, technology isincreasingly effective as a way to detect and mitigate risk. Today,there's a great opportunity to use digital risk managementsolutions — such as those that use sensors and the Internet ofThings (IoT) — to detect risks, prevent accidents and reduceclaims. These new tools become invaluable when the weather turnsbad and exposure to hazards increases.

Technology can be used to make inspections both easier and moreeffective.

At Argo, for example, we offer a digital risk managementsolution that combines a variety of IoT tools, mobile applications,and data analytics to find and reduce/remove hazards. Systems suchas these can help ensure that inspections take place on a regularbasis, that hazards — such as wet floors — are noted and addressedimmediately, and that a record of all actions is digitallydocumented. This doesn't just lead to a safer restaurant or retailenvironment — it provides a line of defense against claims when theunfortunate does happen. Our clients who use this kind oftechnology report a 30% to 40% reduction in the frequency ofslip/trip and fall incidents.

Although we are focusing here on preventing slips and falls,it's worth mentioning that using sensors to actively monitor yourpremises allows you to respond to other critical weather-relatedevents, even if no one is there. For example, a sensor that sendsan alert if the temperature in a freezer or cooler deviates from aspecified range during a power outage can allow you to respondquickly and reduce food spoilage. If your heating system fails, youcan get a notification on your cell phone that the temperatureinside your facility is dropping, allowing you to respond quicklyand prevent freezing pipes from bursting and causing costly waterdamage.

We've also found that when you collect data during inspections,you can use it for more than just immediate actions. You can alsouse it to review and predict trends. For example, you might noteareas or times of the day — or of the year — in which accidentshappen more frequently.

Programs and policies to prevent hazards can be created aroundwhat you glean from your digital records, and there are endlessuses for data analysis.

Looking ahead

As the insurance industry moves toward smarter and fastersolutions, we must seek to educate our clients on both acceptedbest practices and new, innovative solutions alike. The process ofpreventing slips and falls can be simplified, and providingproducts that are easy to use is our job. It's critical for allparties involved to work together to ensure weather-related risksare detected and mitigated in a proactive and efficient manner.

Rooney Gleason ([email protected]) is presidentof Argo Insurance and head of Digital Business Development at ArgoGroup.

See also:

• 10 ways to reduce slips, trips and falls in yourbusiness
• States where employee lawsuits are most likely tohappen
• Top 10 safest states for seniors