When you own a business of any type, you have a responsibility to ensure that people using your services and visiting your premises are safe. This is a greater problem for funeral homes than it is for some businesses—funeral homes have people coming in and out of their premises on a regular basis. Additionally, many of the visitors will be elderly and in a state of distress during their visit, making them less likely to be as aware of their environment as they may ordinarily be. The highest potential risk for visitor injury at a funeral home is tripping.

So, how do you meet your obligation to keep customers safe and ensure your business doesn't end up with a lawsuit for personal injury? Read on for ways to avoid potential liabilities.

Outdoor Areas

Keeping outdoor areas free of debris and salted in cold weather will reduce trip hazards and ensure that the visit of a distressed relative is not made more upsetting by an unpleasant fall. It's also prudent to ensure that potholes in parking areas are filled as soon as they arise.

If your outdoor area allows for it, encourage families to drop their elderly members outside the entrance to reduce the length of their walk from the car. This is especially preferable at cold times of the year. If your facilities don't allow for this, then having assistants outside at busy times to help elderly visitors will reduce the risk of a fall.

Indoor Areas

If your interior has tiled flooring, ensure there is a clean, dry doormat at the entrance for people to dry their feet when the weather is wet.

Make sure your staff adhere to rules about cleaning—wet floor signs will alert visitors to a potentially slippery condition. However, cleaning should ideally only take place when the building is closed to visitors

Finally, make sure that you have a visitor protocol in place that your staff adhere to. Before expected visits and funerals, your team should inspect areas to make sure they are clear of potential hazards, and address anything they perceive as a problem.

Comprehensive Insurance Coverage

For your own safety and peace of mind, you should regularly review your insurance policy to ensure that your coverage is comprehensive enough to cover all potential problems. It's worth paying a higher premium to know that, in the event of a person suffering an injury, your business will not be faced with a crippling claim.​

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