It’s generally a good idea to paint your commercial building at least once per decade. Ideally, the work will be done by a licensed, insured and bonded commercial painting contractor. Generally speaking, professional contractors are less likely to cause accidents that could result in lost revenue or damage to your brand. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why worker safety should be a top priority while your building is being painted.
Prevent Employee and Customer Injuries
There can be a lot of clutter and chaos during a commercial painting project, and this may result in a higher risk of employee or customer injuries. A professional contractor can work with you to divert anyone who may be in the building while it’s being painted away from the work area.
This may reduce the chances that a person is struck by a falling paint can or trips over a ladder. It may also reduce the chances that a person is electrocuted while walking too close to a frayed wire or gets caught in a machine that wasn’t properly guarded.
A professional contractor will also use specialized equipment designed to ensure proper ventilation throughout the building. This can prevent headaches, slurred speech, or other potentially harmful consequences of breathing in contaminated air.
Avoid the Paperwork Associated with Employee or Customer Injuries
If an employee is injured at work, there is a good chance that you’ll have to tell OSHA about it. This means spending hours taking statements, filling out forms and completing other administrative tasks. Furthermore, an employee who is injured on the job may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, which will likely mean more forms to fill out. Losing a key employee to a workplace injury might also result in lost production or increased costs related to onboarding a new employee.
In the event that a customer is hurt, your company will likely need to spend time filing insurance claims and making statements. There is also a chance that this person could file a personal injury lawsuit against your firm. Even if you obtain a favorable outcome in the matter, the company will likely need to spend a significant amount of money defending itself in court.
You’re not responsible for anyone who is hired to paint your building. Instead, the commercial painting contractor is required to carry workers’ compensation coverage for anyone employed to complete the project. Anyone who is hurt while performing services on behalf of the contractor will file a claim with that company’s workers’ compensation insurance provider.
Don’t Do Anything That Might Hurt Your Brand
A commercial painting project can be a great way to boost your brand’s image. You can tout the project as an important part of a community revitalization initiative designed to jumpstart the local economy. Alternatively, you can use the attention that the project is likely to receive as a tool for highlighting the products or services that your company provides.
However, an accident that causes a significant injury to an employee, customer or bystander might result in significant harm to your company’s image. This may be true even if your firm wasn’t directly responsible for what happened. At best, your organization may be labeled as cheap, irresponsible or otherwise indifferent to the wellbeing of others.
While it may be possible to overcome the bad publicity an accident might generate, the company won’t get back in good standing overnight. It can take up to a year for a business to repair its reputation after being associated with a negative event.
It’s also important to note that your business might face greater scrutiny from government agencies after a serious accident. If the firm is found to be in violation of local, state or federal safety regulations, it could face fines of up to $100,000 or more. Furthermore, you could be held personally liable for damages if there is reason to believe that your negligence put others in danger.
You Can’t Always Wait Until the Office Is Closed
It may be possible to schedule the majority of a project to be completed over the weekend when the office is closed. It may also be possible to have workers come in overnight when there are fewer people in the building. However, if you’re on a tight schedule, it will likely be necessary to have work done during typical business hours, and this may cause disruptions for both employees and clients.
A professional contractor can work with you to ensure that arrangements can be made ahead of time to minimize these disruptions. For instance, painters may start in areas that are easier to ventilate or that have fewer large objects to move. This can give your employees time to get whatever they need out of their offices to work elsewhere in the building or remotely.
Once individual offices have been cleared, work can begin on those spaces in a safe and controlled manner. While there is no guarantee that accidents won’t happen, having a plan in place can significantly reduce the chances of bodily injury or property damage.
If you’re looking for a quality commercial painting contractor, get in touch with the folks at Hall’s Quality Painting in Fernandina Beach FL today. Our team takes pride in its safety record and ability to do quality work in a reasonable amount of time. We will work with you to choose the right colors, type of paint and timeline that best meets your needs and budget.