One of the keys of health and safety that every employer needs to focus on, and one of the leading causes of injury in all manner of workplaces, be it the office, warehouse, construction site, or otherwise, is slips, trips, and falls. These accidents and injuries do not come out of nowhere. Here, we’re going to look at some of the most common causes, and how you can mitigate them.
Sudden drops or steps
When you’re designing workspaces or figuring out how your team works within them, you always have to pay attention to the paths that they’re going to take through those spaces. In particular, any changes in the height of the surface they are standing or walking on have to be considered and highlighted as best as possible. This is especially true in areas where the person might not have perfect visibility of the steps or drops ahead of them, such as if they are pushing a trolley in a warehouse. To that end, floor markings are some of the most effective ways to highlight any changes in the terrain coming up, and signage can help remind your workers to stay vigilant to such changes, too.
Poor visibility
Related in part to the previous point, anything that compromises the visibility of the pathing that the worker has to take throughout the space is going to put them at a much greater risk of slipping, tripping, or falling. Any of the other risks mentioned here become exponentially more dangerous if the person is not able to see them and simply being in an area of poor visibility makes someone more likely to fall, even if there are no obstacles there to trip them. To that end, indoor light testing can make sure that you have the necessary visibility in all of the areas where your workers are likely to pass. This is especially important in any areas where they are likely to be carrying or transporting objects but should be considered throughout the entire workspace.
Cleanliness (or the lack thereof)
Any manner of mess, spills, or uncleanliness on a floor can make it a significant tripping hazard. The most obvious case is that someone slips on a puddle of something that has been spilled. As such, maintaining the cleanliness of areas where people traffic through is of extra importance, though keeping your workplace clean should be a priority for a variety of reasons. Of course, cleaning the workplace brings about its own risks, especially if the floor has been mopped. As such, you have to make sure that you have wet floor signage available so that people can be more careful around areas that have been recently cleaned. Some diligence from the worker is to be expected, as well, after all.
Poor housekeeping (cables, boxes, etc.)
There are other obstacles that can get in the way of your walkways and become tripping hazards without technically being a mess that your cleaners can be expected to deal with. If you have cabling connecting technology in the space, then you should ensure that you use cable organization to stop them from spilling out into anywhere that you might reasonably expect someone to come walking past, as even one stray cable can snag on a shoe, causing a fall. Similarly, you should make it a policy to not allow anyone to keep boxes or any other storage materials out in walkways. Even in office environments, a single thing out of place, on the floor where it shouldn’t be, can become a significant tripping hazard.
Bad flooring
Perhaps there isn’t anything on the floor to trip up your workers, perhaps the floor itself is the issue. Uneven floor surfaces can be a significant cause of falls as, much like dips or steps, they can cause people to lose balance, especially if those people are carrying something. Floor coverings that are more smooth or slippery than they should be, or even slightly rougher, can cause changes in the surface tension, which means that people can underestimate or overestimate their grip on the floor, which can also lead to falls. If you’re designing a warehouse or another practical working space, you need to think about what kind of commercial flooring is best for the needs of the space.
If there has been an uptick in slips, trips, and falls in the workplace, it is imperative that you discover why and do what you can to prevent them. Otherwise, the costs to your business can easily end up sinking you.
