Skip to Main Content

06/08/2011

4 Tips to Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents

By SR Max

4 Tips to Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are a pain for safety managers and corporate risk assessment teams to deal with. Not only are there direct costs involved in replacing lost work hours or injured employees, but there are also increased insurance premiums, negative internal and external press and lost productivity. These risks make it all the more important to prevent workplace slip and fall accidents.Enhancing your companys slip and fall prevention is as simple as taking inventory of what you are and are not doing to protect your employees. Check out the following tips to keep the workplace safe to be sure you are doing everything you can to protect your employees.
  1. Flooring Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of flooring options available to your company. What is the cost to change your flooring, does it fit the aesthetic, is it practical (carpet in a fast food kitchen isnt going to happen, obviously)? Most importantly, good flooring should be smooth without being slippery, should not contain irregularities or ridges, and should be compatible with the environment (heat, moisture, traffic, etc).
  2. Maintenance It seems like a no brainer, but keeping the floor clean is a big part of keeping waitstaff, chef and kitchen workers or anyone else upright! Whether you are working in a bank or a grocery store a certain amount of debris, liquids, dust and assorted other items will collect on the floor. In addition to regular sweeping and mopping, waxing should be done with care. A slip resistant wax should be selected, and the operator should be sure that the wax works with high speed buffing, which may increase floor slipperiness further.
  3. Staircases / Ramps Be sure that any inclined walkways are using proper uniformity, irregular steps or slopes can surprise employees and customers and can be especially dangerous if you are in a climate that sees snow or ice in winter months.
  4. Footwear Of course, slip resistant shoes make a great deal of difference for employees. Regular shoes simply are not built to combat the hazards of water, grease, ice and other hazardous workplace conditions, so buying comfortable, proper fitting, high quality slip resistant footwear is a must. Safety and store managers should review their policies and see how to craft a worker-friendly slip resistant shoe policy that will encourage or even require employees to take their safety seriously.
If youd like some more information about getting proper safety footwear, were here to help at SR Max. The better we do our job, the less you have to worry about. If your company doesnt have a slip resistant shoe program in place, contact us! We can get a program set up for your specific needs in just a little time. You can also email info@srmax.com or call 1.877.SRMAX33 today!Note: Check out this PDF from the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, its a wonderful informational source that provides some more information on workplace slip and fall prevention. 

Categories: Safety Tips  |  Authored by: SR Max  |  Posted: 06/08/2011