Every year, thousands of people get injured by slips, falls and trips. Most victims have cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations. A slip is when a person’s foot loses traction with the floor – this takes place in wet, greasy and slippery surfaces. Sometimes, the wearing of inappropriate footwear contributes to this. Tripping happens when a person accidentally catches their foot on something like a crack on the floor, electrical cords or other small obstructive objects. Falls can either result from a trip or a slip but occurs mainly from low heights – steps, curbs and stairs.
To prevent these accidents from happening in the workplace, here are some tips that will create a safer working environment for everyone:
Practice good housekeeping
This is critical in keeping a certain area safe. Housekeeping and safety should go hand-in-hand. If a facility’s housekeeping habits are poor, there might be a higher incidence of injuries, increasing insurance costs as well as regulatory citations. However, if your facility is well-organized and kept clean, that is a good indication that it also has an effective overall safety program. Ensure a good routine in proper housekeeping.
Reduce wet and slippery surfaces
Walking surfaces such as parking lots, sidewalks, shower stalls, food preparation areas and just floors in general, account for a large portion of injuries. Traction on outdoor surfaces might change with the weather, and these changes can also affect indoor surfaces as moisture can be tracked in by pedestrians. Traction control procedures should be closely monitored for effectiveness. Indoor control measures also help in reducing the incidence of slips and falls.
Avoid obstacles in walkways and aisles
Injuries are also caused by obstacles, clutter, equipment and other unnecessary materials in corridors, entryways, aisles, as well as stairwells. Proper housekeeping again plays an important role in avoiding proliferation of these hazards. There should strict policies and procedures to be followed especially when scrap waster or materials is a by-product of a certain work operation.
Ensure proper lighting
Poor lighting also contributes to an increase in accidents. There should always be proper illumination in staircases, hallways, ramps, walkways, basements, construction areas and dock areas. With proper lighting, one can avoid any obstacles and slippery areas.
Wear appropriate footwear at all times
The wearing of proper footwear plays a big part in preventing falls, slips and trips. Shoelaces should be tied correctly and the slickness of the soles should be evaluated thoroughly. Employees are expected to wear certain types of footwear depending on their duties.
If you are a victim of a slip and fall accident, contact us via our toll free hotline 1.877.614.0008. Conte & Associates works with clients in Vaughan, Woodbridge, Thornhill, Brampton as well as Whitby/Oshawa, and in the following cities in Ontario: Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Newcastle, Courtice, Bowmanville, Newcastle, Port Perry, Belleville, and Peterborough. We can help you with your legal concerns.
