You may think that customer slip and fall injury concerns have passed along with the winter. While it’s great to have your parking lot plowed and salt the sidewalks of your property during the winter, that vigilance should be continued into the warmer months. Unfortunately, slip and fall season is year-round.
OSHA reports that slip and fall injuries are the second-leading cause of accidental deaths behind motor vehicle accidents nationwide. These injuries comprise one-fourth of all reported injury claims and can affect your insurance costs and the productivity of your employees.
The good news is that these injuries are often preventable. Here are a few things you can do to prevent your employees and customers from slip, trips, and falls on your property.
Clean up messes immediately
Many of the common causes of slips are natural, like mud and water. As the rain falls in the spring and summer months, it’s important to keep your floors clear of these hazards. Make sure that you have a working mop and proper caution signage to make everyone aware of possible hazards.
Your risk for facing a slip injury claim increases if your business prepares and sells food. Oil, grease, and soap in the preparation areas can provide slip injury risks. If you notice that someone has dropped food beneath them, clean it up right away because they may not realize it’s there until they stand up. That’s when the danger for a slip injury heightens.
Dry spills cause messes too
A mess doesn’t have to be liquid to pose a danger. Saw dust, dust, and powders can make surfaces like marble and tile especially slippery. Beware of items like paper and plastic wrapping that can cause slips should someone unknowingly step on them.
Preventing slips is a group effort
You are not the only person in charge of ensuring the safety of your property’s floors, but it is your duty to inform you employees of proper procedures are for dealing with spills and messes, as well as making sure they know where to find the tools to clean up a mess. Together, you can provide a safer environment for everyone and lower your risk for a slip injury claim.
