One of the more popular segments on TV is when the sports analysts stand around and watch film of the previous week’s boneheaded plays.  These are the “C’mon man” awards. See a guy fumbling or running the wrong way and these ex-players / analysts are like, “Come on man, what are you thinking!” It’s a really funny segment.

If you’re in the concrete lifting industry, it’s impossible not to miss obvious tripping hazards and the methods different municipalities and businesses use to address them. So in honor of those methods, here are a few How NOT to Repair a Tripping Hazard “Come on Man!” awards. Names will be withheld of course; we don’t want to completely shame them.

Look at these before and after pictures…

This municipality had the edge of a sunken sidewalk slab painted with orange spray paint. A responsible citizen pointed out that it was still technically a tripping hazard. What did they do? They sent a crew out with an asphalt truck, and slapped a makeshift asphalt ramp together to bridge the slabs. This is certainly not A.D.A. compliant and it’s also ugly as hell. It will also not last. COME ON MAN!

Look below at how tripping hazards were addressed at a rest area…

These slab transitions were grinded down to remove the tripping hazards. At least they didn’t just paint them. Grinding the concrete exposes the aggregates, and it leaves ugly patterns that will stay visible for years. It also fails to address the unstable soil, leaving the possibility open for further sinking. COME ON MAN! You should have had those slabs adjusted with polyurethane technology.

Here’s another great paint job…

Maybe if we paint this tripping hazard yellow, people will see it and not trip and fall down. How well does that work at night? This was on a hotel property and there is certainly pedestrian traffic in the evenings along these walkways. COME ON MAN!  Do you realize that by painting the tripping hazard you are proving that you had knowledge of the issue and didn’t do anything about it? Prior knowledge is a key component in tripping hazard lawsuits.

Then of course, there are property owners that don’t do anything at all…

COME ON MAN!

That’s it for this special awards edition blog post. And remember, if you’re a property owner faced with a tripping hazard…COME ON MAN! Repair it correctly. Don’t be that guy!