Property owners in South Carolina must comply with safety standards to ensure no physical hazards exist that can cause someone to slip and fall.
Property owners in South Carolina must ensure that their property is free of hazards that can cause death or serious injury, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s goal is to prevent illnesses, injuries, and deaths in workplaces.
Safety standards property owners have to have in place in South Carolina involve ascertaining that there are no hazards present on the property. South Carolina OSHA defines a hazard as a property condition, work practice, or negligent act that might lead to an employee getting injured or ill.
Property Owners Must Prevent Hazards on Their Property
There are a plethora of hazards that property owners in South Carolina must ensure do not exist on their property. It is the duty of the property owner to actively practice safety measures to maintain a safe environment. The following are safety standards required of South Carolina property owners:
Attend to Physical Hazards Immediately
If there is a spill or cords on the floor, this might cause someone to slip, trip, or fall. Anything causing someone to trip should be removed and placed in an area with no foot traffic. Messes must be cleaned up as soon as they are noticed, and a caution sign should be displayed to warn invitees of the temporary hazard. If there is no sign to bring attention to the spill, and someone falls, a property owner may face a premises liability lawsuit.
Respond to Biological Hazards
Employees can be exposed to harsh chemicals and toxic substances, blood and other body fluids, and bacteria and viruses. There should be limits in place for exposure to these hazards and protections for workers so that they remain unharmed. Employees should be able to avoid being in poor health due to their job location.
Prevent Fire Hazards
Fires can be prevented with proper care and attention. Fire exit signs should be placed on-site in case employees need to evacuate, and these signs can never be blocked. There should be a fire extinguisher on-site in case a fire does break out. There should also be maximum occupancy regulations in place, as there is a certain number of people the fire department will allow in a building at once.
Smoking in a public building is not permitted in South Carolina. Fires can happen even when a property owner has adequate safety standards in place, so it is difficult to manage human error. With the right equipment and trained staff, property owners can reduce the risk of fires.
This is a non-exhaustive list of ways property owners in South Carolina can keep invitees safe on the premises. Property owners owe guests a duty of care and may be held liable for hazardous conditions they neglected to handle that caused someone’s injuries, illness, or death.
Examine the Four Elements of Negligence
The four factors of negligence are important to review if you suffered injuries due to someone else’s negligence, and you wish to hold them liable for their action or inaction. These factors are:
- Duty of care: A person is legally obligated to uphold a duty of care to keep others safe. For example, the property owner must ensure there are no tripping hazards on their property that can seriously harm someone.
- Breach of duty of care: This is a failure to exercise the property owner’s duty of care, resulting in an invitee’s injury. A stairwell with missing or damaged steps can cause a person to break a bone.
- Causation: By neglecting to be cautious and careful, the property owner inflicted injuries on another person. The failure to repair the broken steps caused a person to get hurt.
- Damages: The injuries someone suffered due to negligence can be remedied by receiving compensation. Tripping on broken steps was preventable if the property owner fixed them, and the victim may collect financial recovery since the injuries they sustained were someone else’s fault.
There are safety standards property owners have to have in place in South Carolina to keep guests safe on the premises. When they do not comply with these safety standards, there are consequences.
George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Fights for Victims of Negligence
If you had an accident on the premises of a business or your workplace, the property owner may be held liable for their negligence. A premises liability lawyer may represent you and pursue damages on your behalf. We may be able to use evidence of the hazard and your injuries to prove negligence.
We operate on a contingency fee basis, so you do not pay anything unless we recover compensation.* Call today for your free consultation.