If we had a crystal ball, we think we can guess that one of the most important things on your industrial property maintenance list is safety.
You want a great looking industrial facility that your employees love to work at, but you can’t sacrifice security. It makes people on your site feel safe and welcome and ensures smooth traffic flow and deliveries.
And the good news is that a professionally designed and maintained industrial landscape will not only look better, but will also naturally minimize risks.
Even if you have the most attractive industrial property in the community, there are some things you can do to improve landscape safety on industrial properties.
4 Ways to Make Your Industrial Property More Secure
Safety should be at the top of any list for commercial landscaping for industrial facilities. This includes making everyone feel safe – from employees to customers to visitors and anyone else who steps foot on your site.
This is important for so many reasons.
First, landscaping to increase safety and security on industrial properties in Greater Chicago can attract customers and employees alike, improving community presence and reputation. When industrial business owners are recruiting and attracting talent, having a safe and secure place for them to work can boost the attraction of one job over another. This can definitely be helpful to your hiring efforts.
And because your commercial landscape looks clean and polished, this can also increase your property value.
Landscape safety on industrial properties also helps decrease your costs. It can save you OSHA fines and liability claims that can result if someone gets hurt on your site. These are expenses no property manager needs.
Here are 4 ways you can make your industrial property safer for everyone and reap all of these benefits.
1. Don’t Neglect Tree & Shrub Maintenance
Trees and shrubs add height, greenery, texture, and seasonal interest to your industrial site But to remain great assets on your site, trees and shrubs need to be part of the maintenance plan for your commercial landscaping for industrial facilities.
Without care, trees and shrubs can get in the way when people are navigating your property. For instance, large overgrown shrubs and long or drooping tree branches can reduce visibility or become tripping hazards. You can make your property more secure with proper and regular pruning to prevent branches from growing out of control and creating hazards.
And overgrown branches aren’t the only things that can cause issues. Diseased branches are more likely to fall in winds or storms since they are weak. But proper fertilization and pest management can prevent disease issues from forming.
Also, it’s important to note that eliminating trees is not the answer. Research says tree canopies on commercial properties can actually decrease crime rates by 12%. And well-kept trees and shrubs can give people the idea that the property is well-populated and cared for, which helps deter crime.
Well-planned tree placement can even help guide people to an entryway or frame their daily path to safety.
2. Remember Detention Pond Maintenance & Water Management
As an industrial property manager, you likely don’t sit and wonder about drainage on your property. In fact, you might not think about it at all … until it becomes a problem.
Normally, your Greater Chicago property will move excess rainwater through sewers and toward lakes or rivers. But sometimes the drainage on your industrial property isn’t working that well, and excess water builds up.
This extra water can damage buildings on your property and turn to ice on your walkways, driveways, and hardscapes, causing slippery surfaces and freezing and thawing that can lead to cracks. Too much water can also create mold problems or high levels of moisture that create other problems like mosquitoes.
Water management solutions can make your commercial property more secure – whether they come in the form of proper grading or detention pond maintenance and repair.
Just like you don’t want drainage issues on your industrial site, you also don’t want irrigation system leaks.
Having your irrigation system inspected and maintained to prevent leaks is another way to make landscaping industrial properties more secure.
Irrigation systems that work properly will hydrate different areas of your property adequately, keeping lawn areas, plants, shrubs, and trees looking great and improving facility curb appeal. It also saves you money because you’ll replace plants less frequently.
And keeping sprinkler heads working correctly means no leaks or pools of water that could cause slippery, muddy areas or lead to icy patches.
3. Snow & Ice Management
Commercial landscaping in Greater Chicago should always include snow and ice management to amplify safety.
As a property manager, you want to keep your parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, walkways, and steps free of ice and snow to ensure slip-free surfaces. Even though Old Man Winter isn’t always predictable, when the weather does turn treacherous and slick, you want to be ready.
Locking in a snow and ice maintenance partner before the season strikes is a great way to ensure you’re prepared – whether winter starts early or hits harder than usual – so your business doesn’t have to be put on hold due to extreme storms.
4. Maintain Signage and Entryways
Your entryways are the gateways to your industrial property. They are where employees and visitors come and go every day.
In addition to tree and shrub trimming, adding colorful, cheerful flowers can accentuate your entryways, drawing positive attention. Go for a layered look with coordinating groundcovers in front, perennials in the center, and taller shrubs and trees in the back.
Adding the right combination of signage enhancements can also increase visibility and bolster your property’s impact. It’s also another strategy for amplifying landscape safety on industrial properties. Clear signage means easier comings and goings and less chance of accidents or other access issues.
Annual mulch can also keep both your entryways and signage landscaping looking polished and free of weeds.
Trust KD Landscape to Increase Safety and Security on Your Industrial Property in Greater Chicago
Commercial landscaping for industrial facilities plays a big role in safety and security on your site.
Left unattended, your plants can grow over signage and security cameras and give visitors a difficult time navigating your landscape. Tall, overgrown shrubs can even become places for intruders to hide, and unstable tree branches can fall, injuring property, vehicles, or people. Ice and water issues can cause flooding and slip-and-fall incidents.
By regularly trimming your turf, trees, and shrubs, tidying your site, picking up trash, managing drainage and irrigation, keeping snow and ice clear, and enhancing areas that need improvement, professional landscape crews become a key part of your safety team.
If thinking safety first becomes overwhelming and confusing, let KD Landscape help. We’d be happy to review your concerns and come up with some great ways to enhance landscape safety on your industrial property that meets your needs and budget.
Want to learn more about how KD Landscape can help you amplify your Greater Chicago commercial property’s safety and security? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can feel confident and make a great choice.
