Refrigeration units and freezers play an important role in many businesses. At restaurants, they help preserve food for the safety of customers. At grocery stores and gas stations, they help ensure quick and convenient access to chilled beverages and food items that are not shelf-stable.
Unfortunately, refrigeration units can be the cause of slip-and-fall incidents that lead to property damage or even serious injuries for the people involved. How does the use of electric refrigeration lead to injury risk for customers?
Power supplies can be an issue
Depending on the placement of a refrigerator or freezer, there may need to be power cords run some distance from the nearest electrical outlet. Those cords can catch people’s shoes or end up tangled in the wheels of a cart. If a business doesn’t take steps to secure and cover those cords, people could easily end up tripping because of them.
Condensation and leaks also cause concern
The temperature difference between the ambient air temperature and the inside of a fridge can lead to condensation forming. If someone leaves the door to an upright refrigeration unit open, it may defrost, leading to moisture accumulation on the ground nearby. If there are mechanical issues with the unit, it could leak fluid. The possibility of fluid accumulation near a refrigeration unit is another noteworthy source of risk.
Learning how to identify and avoid safety hazards at a store might help you avoid injury, and knowing about common tripping hazards can help you hold a business accountable if they don’t address such hazards and you get hurt on their premises.