You may not know this but over 16,000 individuals die from slip and fall accidents each year according to the National Safety Council. And slip and fall accidents are the 2nd largest cause of injuries in the U.S. These accidents account for close to 15% of all job-related injuries, and overall, more than 540,000 slip and falls requiring hospital stay occur in the U.S. each year.
So what does this have to do with pressure washing? Whether you are a business owner or a homeowner, if you fail to regularly clean your driveways, sidewalks, and pavers in frequently traveled areas it can lead to buildup of very slippery and hazardous substances. Although we don’t worry about ice buildup here in SWFL, we do have algae and mold growth, which are not just slippery, but can do damage to paved surfaces, leading to serious tripping hazards. These safety issues expose you and your customers to getting hurt. Slip and falls are a very common reason people file personal injury lawsuits here in SWFL.
This is the reason that pressure washing provides much more than just aesthetic beauty. By getting rid of the mold, algae, dirt, oil buildup and other harmful substances from your pavers and concrete surfaces you can greatly reduce your legal liability.
Here are some tips to take care of your property to prevent dangerous buildup:
• Sweep entryways regularly, and get them pressure washed several times a year, or whenever you see buildup starting to become an issue.
• Wash off any fresh spills quickly, so that they don’t set or harden on the surface. If this is a place of business, be sure to put up signs to warn customers if the floor is still wet.
• As a business you should always use “wet floor” signs, absorbent mats, and anti-skid paint in areas that are prone to moisture and slippery conditions.
We don’t recommend pressure washing these areas yourself. Too often those people who do it themselves end up damaging their own property. A common mistake is to apply too much pressure which can cut clean through a screen or etch permanent lines into your concrete. Do it yourselfers also often forget to use a cleaning solution and rely merely on water, which only pushes mold spores around. The extra pressure you’ll have to use with water only and the mold-related damages can end up costing you more money in the end.
Often, do it yourself home owners discover that once they figure in the cost of renting a pressure washer, transporting it to and from the rental place and spending the time to do the pressure washing, they would have been better off investing in having UnderPressure do it for them.
Call us if you see that your sidewalks and pavers have dangerous and ugly mold covering them. We’re here to Under Pressure Cleaning and Sealing Services 239-218-5085.
