bleacher maintenance Archives - Carroll Seating Company

Published: 8 September 2016

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Inspecting, improving, and repairing equipment regularly is the key concept of long life. Taking care of things means continual and flawless operation as well as reduced overhead, since you don’t have to replace something that is long past being fixed. When you inspect bleachers at your site, you’re taking preventative measures that are invaluable.

This idea of continual care is especially necessary for things that are subject to a high rate of use and even life outside. What’s more is that in places like schools, which typically don’t have a lavish amount of overhead, might find themselves in a pickle if they continually need to buy new equipment. So, consider these:

Three Keys to Effective Bleacher Inspection

Don’t wait to do it! Routine bleacher inspections are great, but don’t make this a rare occurrence. Instead, consider doing so at the end of each sporting season so there is time to address any problems while they aren’t in use. It’s also nice to conduct quick inspections on outdoor bleachers after inclement weather in order to make sure no damage was sustained.
Inspect all elements. When conducting a bleacher inspection, make sure to look holistically at the situation in order to take all aspects into account. This involves things like the ground around the bleachers, trees, other things that might be near the bleachers and anything else that might be part of the equation. If recent bleacher maintenance has been performed, add that to your checklist.
Consult all available resources. Safety codes are different everywhere, so it is important to be caught up with all the information. Furthermore, there are always things to be learned from other users of the equipment and even the manufacturers themselves. Because of this, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be in contact with the manufacturers in order to learn of any recent improvements.

If you’re looking for information on bleacher upkeep, need professional help to inspect bleachers inspection or repair, or just want to consider what other options there are, contact Carroll Seating Company to see what you’ve been missing out on.

Published: 22 July 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Fall sports are just around the corner. Have you started bleacher inspections yet? There are few maintenance tasks that should rank quite as high on your list. Thanks to some highly publicized incidents in the past few years, ensuring your bleachers are safe for athletes and patrons alike is an absolute must. Here are a few things to consider.

Start With a Good Cleaning – The single best thing you can do to start is make sure you clean the bleachers themselves. It will give you a better way to spot any problems on the decking, the framework, or the area below the bleachers.

Check the Hardware – It’s essential to check all of the hardware and fasteners on your bleachers to make sure that they’re tightened as they should be. It’s not unheard of to notice a missing piece here or there, and you’ll want to know that before that first big game so you don’t create any weak points.

Lubricate as Necessary – If you have any contact moving parts, and on fixed outdoor bleachers, you likely don’t, you’ll want to lubricate those on a regular basis and check any rollers to ensure they’re functioning correctly.

Review Safety Features – Your bleachers have built in safety systems including anti-slip flooring choices, guardrails, and aisle handrails. Take a look at each of those and make sure they’re functioning properly.

Let Us Help!

At Carroll Seating Company, we’re here to help make the process of bleacher inspection an easy one. We’ll walk you through the entire process, even making the repairs where necessary if you prefer not to handle the task on your own. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help make certain your bleachers are ready to go, no matter what season is approaching or how big the crowd promises to be this year! To find out more, call us at 816-471-2929 or visit us online today.

Published: 15 July 2014

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Outdoor grandstands are the single best way to make all of your fans comfortable, no matter what the sport or event. A good maintenance program, though, is absolutely essential. Outdated or damaged grandstands can mean the potential for an accident, and the last thing you want is a serious situation on your hands. Not sure where to begin? This quick guide can help.

Make certain that you inspect your bleachers at least once a year at the minimum. Remember, the more often you do a scheduled inspection of your bleachers, the higher your confidence level in them during every single season. Ensure that your inspection is scheduled far enough in advance to accommodate and repair or maintenance tasks that must be done before an upcoming event or game.
If you’re not sure, enlist the help of a professional. Don’t assume your normal maintenance crew can handle the in-depth inspection necessary to keep your grandstands safe for all of your patrons. Remember, a variety of different aspects must be considered from the general safety of the grandstands to code compliance. In some states, various documentation must also be kept on file to help protect your facility. If your staff doesn’t understand exactly what has to be done, call in a professional team who can help.
Take a look at recent code requirements. Thanks to the record numbers of recent accidents in outdoor grandstands, states are changing codes and requirements right and left, and ensuring that you understand exactly what is required is a must.

Carroll Seating offers inspections, maintenance, and repair services to help meet your needs. We’ll not only help you spot the potential problems that could be an issue during the season, but we’ll also help you put our suggestions into play with maintenance and repair to ensure every one of your patrons is safe. To learn more, please contact us today.

Published: 6 May 2014

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Bleacher accidents continue to grace the headlines year after year, and the media does little to quell the increasing worry about this very common seating option. The last thing you want is patrons who are hurt as a result of negligence, and given that most bleacher accidents could have been predicted with the right care and maintenance, a bit of extra work now could go a long way toward keeping those spectators safe. This is also the perfect time to handle maintenance, as if you do discover problems, you have a bit of time on your hands to fix them. Here’s a checklist that can help you keep everyone on your bleachers safe in the upcoming season.

Take a look at the obvious stuff. Stairs, ramps, and aisles should all be clean, free of debris, and in good working order. If you notice any loose flooring or seats that are splintering, you should certainly have it repaired immediately. Other damaged areas should be noted and assessed for their overall impact on the safety of your bleacher system.
Look at all of the fasteners, including the nuts and bolts. Make sure that they’re as tight as they should be. If any of them are missing completely, replace them.
Examine the wall and floor anchors. Are they as tight as they should be? Do they look a bit worn? If they’re damaged or missing completely, replace them. If they’ve served well for quite some time, it’s not a bad idea to go ahead and replace them then as well.
Look at welded joints. You should see them both in the frames and in the bracing of the bleachers. Make certain the welds are holding well. If they seem loose at all, have them looked at by a professional.
Any parts that produce friction need to be lubricated now and mid-way through the season. If it looks like damage has occurred because of a lack of lubrication, make certain you have it addressed.
Take a close look at the handrails and safety rails along the sides and backs of the bleachers. The rails themselves as well as the mounting hardware need to be carefully examined for possible problems.

The best thing you can do for your patrons is to have a professional inspector look over your bleachers before the season starts. He or she will not only carefully look at your bleacher system from every possible angle, but also certify that they have recently been inspected, helping to indemnify you in the even tragedy occurs in the future. Talk to the professionals who installed your bleachers to see if they offer inspection services.

Published: 28 January 2014

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Season after season, your bleachers are ready to take it. With people stomping up, down, and all around, they have to be ready to offer a comfortable, safe spot to see the action. Because they get so much use and abuse, though, there are times when inspection, and possibly part replacement, becomes absolutely necessary. In situations like those, there’s no better place to turn than Carroll Seating Company.

A Long History of Service

Formed in 1952 by Patrick Carroll, Sr, this amazing company got its start with church pews in a basement. Carroll later began to sell furniture to private schools, then eventually public schools. These days, our company has expanded to do nearly $29 million each year in sales, and a big part of our commitment to customers isn’t just the products we stock, but the support to make it all work day after day.

Bleachers And More

Bleachers are an important part of many settings, but as with any seating solution, they can be dangerous if they’re not properly maintained. That’s why Carroll Seating is available both for bleacher inspections and repair. We stock hundreds of the most common replacement parts for all bleacher systems manufactured after 1980, and if you have a special request, we can fill that too. We even keep replacement parts for fixed auditorium and stadium seating on hand.

You want your patrons to be as safe as possible, so when it’s time to do that annual inspectio, it’s time to contact us. We’ll inspect for safety, code compliance, or even operational issues to make certain that you have the best seating solution to meet your needs.

Time to replace your bleacher system? We can help there, too. A turnkey solution, Carroll Seating Company will be here to help your space do a bit more with every event or game.

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Published: 10 May 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

Each year, thousands of people are injured while on bleachers at a variety of different kinds of facilities. In some cases, it’s purely negligence on the part of the individual. In many other cases, though, the problem could have been prevented through solid bleacher inspection and maintenance. Most states have gone so far as to require yearly inspection for bleachers. Wondering what that entails?

Here’s a quick overview:

You should make certain that the bleachers aren’t unstable in any possible way. For example, they shouldn’t be leaning to one side, and they should be placed on level ground. Moreover, while walking on them, they should feel completely stable.
You should also make sure the structural support of the bleachers is solid. There shouldn’t be any signs of corrosion or rotting. All of the cross braces should be in good working order. None of them should come out past the bench seat edges. None of the welds should be cracked either.
Bleachers should have handrails in place, and if there aren’t any, warnings should be posted.

There are often other guidelines from state to state, and understanding those is your responsibility. For example, in many states, a simple safety inspection by your staff isn’t enough. In most cases, you’ll need a certified technician to look things over and file a report. Depending on the company from whom you bought the bleachers, some yearly inspections are required to keep your warranty in check, too.

Preventative Maintenance
Whether your annual check reveals a problem or not, you may still have a bit of work to do. Proper upkeep of your floorboards, stairs and walkways is a must. It can help reduce any falls from patrons. They need to be cleaned regularly as well. Handrails, if present, need to be tightened, and supports should be lubricated with all other moving parts.

Keep in mind that if you allow food onto the bleachers, it can get into the mechanisms and create real issues, so keep a close eye out for potential problems with food. There are ways to clean them well, but it’s a bit harder, so custodial staff should be part of the maintenance plan. The real key with preventative maintenance is not only to make certain issues are addressed as soon as they’re realized, but also to follow the manufacturer’s instructions with regard to the right maintenance procedures.

Bleachers are one of the biggest problems for many facilities because, while they do provide useful seating, they can also be hard to maintain. Contact a certified bleacher technician to make sure your bleachers are safe from year to year.

Published: 16 April 2013

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

Outdoor seating has gotten a bit of a black eye over the past several years. Thanks to a number of wind incidents, storms, and a variety of other accidents, outdoor bleacher safety is a fairly hot topic these days. Whether you’re an athletic facility, a concert venue, or something completely different, the last thing you want is to put your patrons and entertainers or athletes in danger, so both choosing the right outdoor seating solutions and performing regular maintenance on your existing seating is a must.

Selecting the Right Outdoor Bleachers
Selecting the right outdoor bleachers is the first step to maintaining a safe environment. You should consider capacity, available space, and sightlines as you develop the right outdoor seating plan. Remember that outdoor bleachers don’t simply have to be hard metal benches anymore. Instead you can customize your solution with backrests, various colored powered coats, and even customized seating arrangements that will make your area work for almost any event. There are even press boxes you can choose to sit on top of your bleachers.

The key to getting the right ones for you is to talk carefully with the company you’re considering. You want to let them know about your needs as well as your safety concerns at the outset. There are all sorts of different solutions to consider, from tip and roll bleachers (ideal for pools and other venues where bleachers may need to be moved) to customized grandstands. Talking with your company about exactly what you want will help you design the perfect solution from the outset.

Bleacher Safety
Even after you select great outdoor bleachers, proactive maintenance is going to be an ongoing need. It will help you lower your long term costs, and it could ensure you reduce your accident levels, as well as any legal risks you may face from those potential accidents. You need to not only take into account the general safety of those who may be using your bleachers, but also whether or not they’re in compliance with local and state codes. Don’t forget to document all of your inspections and repairs carefully, and if your seating company suggests any aftermarket products to protect your investment, you should certainly consider it.

Outdoor bleachers can be the perfect place to cheer for the home team, but quality seating has to be part of the equation. Make the right choice at the outset, then maintain it well.