Concrete has a strong history of being a reliable foundation for construction projects, including bridges, houses, curbs and sidewalks. Reinforced concrete was created in 1849, and the first concrete bridge was built in 1875.

While concrete is made to last, it won’t necessarily last forever. Like all manmade materials, concrete is subject to damage over time. Damaged concrete presents a major safety hazard to employees and customers walking around your property.

Have you recently checked for cracks and uneven concrete around your business? As a CEO, you’re responsible for making sure somebody makes those checks. Maintaining safety should be part of owning the business’ vision.

If you know about a safety hazard and fail to make prompt repairs, you’ll face some potentially harsh consequences. Here’s why you should never skip even minor concrete repairs.

1. A personal injury lawsuit could bankrupt your business

An employee who trips and falls on your property will be covered by workers’ compensation

You’d be surprised to see how many personal injury lawsuits are either settled or lost even when the case didn’t look strong. It’s up to the judge or jury to determine whether or not the business owner was negligent. Business owners are frequently held liable for injuries caused by hazards they weren’t aware of (but should have known about).

2. Perform regular perimeter checks to protect against lawsuits

It’s critical to add perimeter checks to your task list. You don’t need to perform them daily, but they should be done at least monthly. Look around your property for potential hazards and when you find a hazard, fix it right away before it becomes a bigger problem.

With the exception of a high-impact accident or major storm/flood, concrete and asphalt take time to show signs of becoming a hazard. For example, you’ll see tree roots slightly pushing up concrete before it starts looking like this. You want to fix the problem while it’s still small.

Depending on the severity of the hazard, it could be resolved in just a few hours. While you might need to rope off your whole parking lot for an asphalt repair, concrete is a different story. In most cases, concrete repair experts don’t need to shut down business to make repairs. Check out the gallery of concrete repair results to see what’s possible.

3. You want your employees and customers to stay safe

You don’t want anyone to get hurt on your property. Yes, there are financial and reputational consequences you want to avoid, but if you’re a decent person, the idea of someone getting hurt is unacceptable.

Running a business requires staying on top of all maintenance and repair needs, including concrete and asphalt damage. These repairs should already be included in your overall budget because every business will need to make repairs at some point.

4. Your patrons and employees expect you to maintain a safe environment

Your employees and customers expect your property to be safe and free from major hazards. Don’t disappoint your customers. If you fail to make proper repairs and someone gets hurt, your reputation is at risk.

5. Potholes aren’t “normal”

You see potholes everywhere, but that doesn’t mean they’re a normal part of the road. Potholes are usually caused by heavy stress and water, and present a major safety hazard to both people and cars.

Cars that run over a pothole risk damaging a tire, or worse, damaging the tire and the rim. People who encounter a pothole risk falling and twisting their ankle on the way down and possibly hitting their head.

Potholes are common and familiar, but they’re extremely dangerous hazards. If you have even one pothole, it’s worth fixing immediately. Don’t just rope off the area and put it on your task list for later. Roping off the area won’t guarantee you protection from a lawsuit if someone gets hurt. Find a reputable company that will perform proper asphalt repairs.

6. Procrastination kills business

If you procrastinate on safety repairs, what else are you putting off? Procrastination is a habit and businesses don’t thrive when company officials drag their feet. If your property poses a clear safety hazard or inconvenience, your employees and customers are waiting for you to make repairs. Don’t let them down.

Repairs are a smart way to spend money

Running a business can be expensive, so it makes sense that company officials want to retain as much revenue as possible. However, spending money on property repairs is a necessary part of doing business.