Workplace Safety Preventing Slips & Trips

How to Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls

When it comes to slips, trips and falls, the warnings never change — it’s the same song, same verse. But it’s important to modify bad behavior and manage your slippery floors to be successful; that’s because it’s extremely important to the health and safety of your staff, clients and operations.

Do slips, trips, and falls increase worker’s comp and liability premiums? Yes. How many sales do you need to break even after you have been notified of a slip-and-fall lawsuit?

Did you know 85% of all worker’s comp claims are due to slips and falls? And more than 1 million people go to the emergency room each year for a slip and fall accident.

There are industry safety guidelines, and in the event of a slip-and-fall on your property, you will be held liable. On average, the victim is awarded $50,000?

First, identify your hazardous areas for repeated slips and falls — typically the kitchen and reception area. Here you will find the most hazardous, identifiable and correctable obstacles: » Wet or greasy surfaces. Is there a constant layer of grease on the kitchen floor? » Are the floors cleaned properly each night? » Poor lighting at the entrance and within the building. » Steps and uneven floor levels. » Unsuitable floor coverings. Do the mats get slippery when wet? Do they lay flat? » Poor housekeeping … i.e. cluttered pathways.

What can you do to prevent further slips and falls? » Hire a walkway auditor to evaluate your business. Have them test how slippery the floor area is. » Generate a checklist that is performed daily prior to opening. » Clean all floors properly and thoroughly

every night. Use a degreaser, especially in the kitchen, to help guarantee floors are as clean as possible. Treat slippery floors to increase the surface friction and make them a non-slip surface. » Ensure the lighting is appropriate at the entrance to your establishment, especially for your senior patrons. » Identify and repair uneven surfaces, and add handrails when appropriate. » Assess floor coverings. Are they properly secured to prevent someone from tripping and falling? Implement a nonslip surface instead. » Good housekeeping skills are easy to overlook and taken for granted. Remove all obstacles, cables and wires. » Make sure your staff wears appropriate non-slip shoes.

Bad habits are hard to break. But with a daily checklist, correcting poor work practices, and demonstrating attention to detail, you can make your facility a safer environment for you, your staff and your clients.

Lisa Smaga is the owner of Slip and Fall Prevention Services LLC. We provide consulting and testing services to increase floor safety in addition to offering a floor treatment that guarantees to make the floor a non-slip surface. For additional information please contact me at: lisas@slipandfallpreventionservices.com SlipAndFallPreventionServices.com | (727) 248-1347.