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Parking lot safety can best be reliably established through proper design, construction, maintenance, and operations. This article discusses parking lot trip hazards, including a description of what constitutes a trip, relevant safety concepts, and links to other articles for more information.
What standards apply to parking lots?
In general, the paved surface within the perimeter of a parking lot should be treated as a potential walking surface, and for this reason parking lots are held to the same safety standards as other walkways
What causes trips?
A trip is caused by the disruption of the foot during the forward motion of the swing phase of the gait cycle. As humans walk, our foot is raised above the ground with a small clearance during its forward swing. If the forward motion of the leading foot is stopped mid-stride, the body continues forward and the center of gravity moves beyond its base of support, typically resulting in the loss of balance and a fall. Obstacles that interrupt the foot’s forward swing can cause a trip. Examples of trip hazards that are commonly encountered in parking lots include decayed and misaligned surfaces, irregular curbs, debris, wheel stops, and speed bumps. Though often related, the trip and the fall are two discrete concepts. [See Gait Analysis article]
Concepts relevant to parking lot pedestrian safety
Standards relevant to pedestrian safety generally call for walkways to be stable, planar, flush, and even to the extent possible. In this context, the last three terms are often used interchangeably.
Real world conditions present practical limitations, so surface irregularities up to ¼” in height are considered acceptable. Research demonstrates that abrupt vertical edges greater than ¼” can create considerable risk for trip incidents and require remediation based on their size, profile and location.
How does perception and expectation affect parking lot safety?
Trips are more likely to occur when a pedestrian neither perceives nor expects to encounter trip hazards. Research has shown that when pedestrians anticipate a hazardous path, they will focus their attention toward the ground and navigate the walkway with care. However, when pedestrians do not expect hazards and fail to perceive them, due to inadequate lighting, lack of conspicuity, or other factors, trip and fall incidents are more likely to occur. Where hazards cannot be eliminated, visual cues such as contrast painting and warning signs can alert pedestrians to avoid the hazard.
How frequently should parking lots be maintained?
The safety of a property is addressed through two primary methods: preventive maintenance, and unplanned maintenance. [See Property Maintenance article]
Preventive parking lot maintenance typically includes annual inspection, cleaning and crack sealing to help prevent damage caused by contaminants and standing water; periodic resealing and maintenance of lines and other surface features that are subject to wear and tear; along with unplanned maintenance of defects caused by severe weather, vehicle traffic, or other forces.
Parking lot trip hazards
Design and construction defects, maintenance deficiencies, and poor housekeeping practices can all increase the risk of pedestrian trip incidents. Parking lots are dynamic environments with numerous potential configurations that often include the components listed below. Our experts specializing in premises safety have addressed these topics in other substantive articles:
The Premises Safety experts at Robson Forensic are frequently retained to investigate cases involving slips, trips, and falls as they relate to parking lots, sidewalks, ramps, stairs and other architectural features. Our experts are well versed in the standards relevant to pedestrian safety and industry standards governing retail, residential, and commercial premises.
For more information submit an inquiry, or contact your local robson forensic office.
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