A growing trend among restaurants is the adaptation of outdoor dining areas. Your restaurant’s outdoor dining area should be carefully planned to ensure the safety of your patrons and employees. Below are some common safety considerations to review before opening your restaurant’s outside dining area for the season:
- Keep seating areas away from, or properly barricaded and protected against, areas with a high volume of vehicle traffic or parking to minimize accidents. Use wheel stops where appropriate around seating areas to increase safety.
- Seating areas should be clearly distinguished, and if barriers are used, they should be firmly secured to prevent barriers from falling over and causing an accident.
- All steps and ramps should have appropriate handrails. Changes in elevation and transitions should be marked and obviously visible.
- Walking surfaces should be level and kept free from loose materials, uneven surfaces, and any other items that could cause a slip, trip, or fall hazard.
- Make sure to consult your local municipality for proper permits, approval, and to ensure ADA compliance of your outdoor seating area.
- If table umbrellas are used for shade, ensure they are properly fastened and anchored in a weighted base to prevent them from causing damage or injury in the event of a sudden wind gust. Be sure to take them down or retract them immediately if weather conditions become unsafe.
- Weather should be a deciding factor for if your outdoor seating area is open for use. Avoid putting patrons at risk if there is risk of lightning, rain, or high winds. Train staff to be prepared to evacuate the area if the weather declines.
- Tent poles, ropes, and stakes need to be positioned away from avenues of customer foot traffic and should be regularly inspected.
- Exits should be clearly visible and well lit to increase safety.
- Do not block sidewalk rights of ways, fire hydrants, or other important utilities like manhole covers or water or gas shut off valves.