In an article from Grainger Industrial News titled “6 Guidelines to Help Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls” six guidelines are outlined to help prevent the all too common workplace occurrence of slips, trips and falls. According to the U.S Department of Labor, slips, trips and falls make up the majority of general industry accidents. These falls account for 15% of all accidental deaths per year. They also make up about 25% of all reported injury claims and more than 95 million lost work days.

I believe that these six guidelines can help companies, but the first step to workplace safety is the right slip resistant metal flooring. Once metal flooring is installed these guidelines can help maintain and accent safety.

Six guidelines that will create a safer working environment:

Create good housekeeping practices

• Workplace safety and housekeeping go hand in hand. Policies and procedures should be put in place and time should be allowed for clean up, especially where scrap material or waste is a by-product.

Reduce wet or slippery surfaces

• Cleaning up spills and displaying wet flooring signs are an integral part of keeping a building safe. However, with metal flooring manufactured from bar grating, water and other liquids are easily drained.

Avoid creating obstacles in aisles and walkways

• Even with the proper metal flooring installed, clutter can still cause slips and falls.

Create and maintain proper lighting

• Work areas should be well lit and should be illuminated in hallways, ramps and stair wells.

• Metal flooring may be painted to make areas such as ramps and stairways more defined and apparent to workers.

Wear proper safety footwear

• Shoelaces should be tied properly and the slickness of the soles must be evaluated before starting work.

Control individual behavior

• Taking shortcuts, rushing, using a cell phone and many other human errors contribute to ground level falls as well.

Metal flooring and a good workplace safety program can cut slips and falls in half. Taking a preventative approach by installing the proper metal flooring and keeping up on maintenance will lower the number of work related injuries, work days missed and even fatalities. Choosing the right type of flooring for your type of industry may seem overwhelming, but the cost will be paid for after you factor in the cost of missed work days and possible litigations.

The most frequently accounted for falls happen in food preparation areas and sidewalks. Metal flooring made of stainless steel is a precise choice for the food industry considering the need for cleanliness, sanitation and chemical resistance. Aluminum vault covers are an ideal choice for utility companies throughout the nation considering the need for a light weight material that is corrosion resistant.

“6 Guidelines To Help prevent Slips, Trips and Falls” Grainger Industrial News. 19 May 2009.

Filed under: Workplace Safety by Beth Faraci