Why Business Owners Should Care About Commercial Painting Safety

To fully enjoy the benefits of commercial painting, you need to prioritize safety during each project.

Whether you’re running a restaurant or managing an industrial facility, the well-being of employees and customers is paramount. Without proper attention to safety, you run the risk of harming people, incurring serious costs, and damaging your company’s reputation.

A high-quality commercial painting contractor will perform excellent work while observing strict safety protocols. As the painting crew carries out the project, you can also take steps of your own to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

When you help create a more secure work environment, how does your business benefit?

Significantly Less Disruption

During a painting project, you want to minimize the disruption to your business operations. However, you need to make sure that your employees and customers aren’t interrupting the work or getting exposed to unnecessary dangers.

Working with your commercial painting contractor, you can figure out a schedule that maximizes safety and efficiency while reducing downtime.

Check if your contractor can work after closing hours. Depending on the type of business you run, you may also find that weekends are the best choice or certain weeks during the year.

Another strategy is to stagger the paint job. For example, you can divide the work area into sections and have the paint job proceed from one section to another. When a given section is getting painted, your employees can temporarily work elsewhere. The areas that typically receive the greatest flow of employees and customers may be painted during slower business hours.

It’s also likely that you’ll need to move furniture or equipment out of the way. Work with your employees on a plan for how to coordinate these preparations and carry them out smoothly. If you can’t move a piece of equipment, calculate how much time you can afford to shut it down, and determine what your employees will do in the meantime.

Your contractor will help you structure the project, including timing the preparation and painting of different areas. They’ll also give you crucial advice on how to safely direct foot traffic around any area currently undergoing work.

Accident Prevention

At Schwartz & Sons Painting, our commercial painters are licensed, insured, and thoroughly trained. We follow training guidelines spelled out by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

It’s highly unlikely that our painters will suffer an accident during a project. However, if a painter does experience any sort of reportable safety incident, it will be our responsibility to handle it.

Now, consider your own employees and your customers. If they’re near the site of a paint job, they’re exposed to certain risks. Without the proper precautions, your business is more vulnerable to certain losses. For example, if an employee slips on wet paint and injures himself, what will the fallout be?

Safety protocols at a commercial painting site help prevent costly accidents. Even when they’re relatively minor, accidents leave you dealing with insurance and liability issues. All it takes is a few seconds of carelessness to create a thorny and painful situation that drags on for months.

During a commercial painting project, your contractor will take all the appropriate steps to maintain a safe work environment. But it also helps if you prepare your employees and establish some safety rules in advance.

Ideally, your employees will know when the project is taking place and how it will unfold. They should know exactly what it is they need to do and what areas to avoid. For example, if they need to temporarily move their desks to a different room, they should be given clear information about when it will happen and where they should be.

Keeping them informed also puts them in a better position to look after customers or anyone else on the premises. You reduce the risk of people slipping on paint or walking into ladders or scaffolding.

Improvements in Wellness, Morale, and Brand Reputation

Along with taking steps to reduce the risk of accidents, you need to consider the effects of paint fumes. When a work site doesn’t have sufficient ventilation, fumes may lead to headaches and respiratory issues. Fresh paint and other substances used during a paint job can also irritate the skin.

Consult with your commercial painting contractor about ventilation issues and reducing the chances of contact with paint. Even with adequate ventilation, your employees may strongly dislike the smell of paint and various coatings, and it may interfere with their ability to concentrate.

Your employees may also experience a loss of morale and productivity from having their routines or work stations disrupted. Before the project begins, solicit their ideas for how to make the experience more comfortable. If they’re involved and feel that you’re listening to them, they’re more likely to help you create a safe and more pleasant environment.

Prioritizing safety also means that you can turn the paint job into an opportunity to generate excitement about your company. Instead of struggling with unproductive employees or getting bogged down in the aftermath of an accident, you can focus on promoting your business.

For example, you can post photos of the ongoing project on social media. You can talk about how the project reflects the qualities of your brand and the exciting changes your company is undergoing. A safe and well-executed paint job becomes another opportunity for your business to shine.

Contact Schwartz & Sons Painting

If your business is located in or around Andover MN, be sure to reach out to us. You can reach us at 763-296-2125 or through our site.

For over a decade, we’ve been completing outstanding paint jobs on commercial and industrial properties. We specialize in a variety of paints and coatings, and we have a deep understanding of all the materials we work with. Our painters regularly update their knowledge and techniques to reflect the latest developments in the industry.

You can also count on us to work in a variety of commercial spaces. Even if your property presents challenges, we’ll come up with cost-effective solutions. We sincerely wish to see your business thrive, and we’re dedicated to the safety and well-being of your employees and customers.