Keeping your parking lot clean and attractive helps bring customers to your business, but once they are on your property, if they do not feel safe, they may not return. Furthermore, while on your property, accidents can occur for which you could be found liable. To help protect your customers from injury and yourself from litigation, contact a reputable and knowledgeable asphalt paving company for a complete inspection and evaluation of your parking lot to ensure that you are in compliance with all local, state, and federal rules and regulations regarding safety requirements.
How to Make Your Asphalt Parking Lot Safe
Why Is Preventive Maintenance Important for Parking Lot Safety?
Maintaining an asphalt parking lot for safety and efficiency is far less expensive and inconvenient than ignoring it and suffering the consequences. Initiating a program of preventive maintenance early in the pavement’s life and staying proactive on potential upgrades can ensure that your asphalt parking lot will remain safe and efficient.
A well-executed program of preventive maintenance will usually address issues while they are still small problems. Routine asphalt maintenance includes repairing cracks quickly. Asphalt pavement is a durable material, but it is constantly subjected to stress from traffic loads and weather conditions. When properly constructed, asphalt pavement will flex to accommodate these stresses. Over time, however, traffic loading and the weather’s freeze/thaw cycles can cause cracks to appear. Left unrepaired, these cracks will grow into potholes or other forms of more serious cracking, including alligator cracking. This kind of damage presents a serious tripping hazard. Furthermore, cars can be damaged by potholes, and bicyclists can be injured or damage their bikes if they encounter a pothole or other area that has suffered significant damage.
Asphalt sealcoating is another important procedure. Starting this measure early in your asphalt pavement’s life will ensure that it receives the greatest benefits from the protective qualities of the sealcoating. The asphalt binder within the pavement mix is the glue that holds the pavement together. Sealcoating protects the binder from the damaging effects of oxidation, UV radiation, oil spills, and moisture infiltration. Asphalt sealing should be performed every two or three years to maintain the integrity of the pavement and help prevent damage that could become a safety hazard.
Asphalt striping and other pavement markings must remain visible to ensure driver and pedestrian safety. All pavement markings should advise and direct traffic, including pedestrians, in a safe and efficient manner.
What Are Some Other Safety Measures for Asphalt Parking Lots?
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires strict adherence to its regulations. Many of the ADA’s rules pertain to ensuring the safety of those who park in accessible spaces and travel between those spaces and your building. A knowledgeable and professional asphalt maintenance contractor can ensure that you are following all ADA requirements as well as any local and state requirements.
Properly installed signage is an additional method of conveying warnings and instructions that can increase parking lot safety. With the proper signage and pavement markings, speed bumps can help control drivers who drive too fast through your parking lot, thereby helping to reduce accidents. Adequate lighting should be present as well as video surveillance to protect both patrons and business owners.
Contact MH Greeson for the Exceptional Striping and Sealcoating -Marietta, GA
At MH Greeson, we are asphalt pavement maintenance experts providing asphalt crack repair, parking lot signage, sealcoating, parking lot striping and pavement markings, asphalt pavement repairs, and parking lot layout and design. Customers throughout the greater Atlanta area can attest to our craftsmanship, integrity, and dependability. For a free job quote, fill out the online request form or call 770-335-2983.
