Are you looking for a way to be proactive when it comes to preventing slip and fall accidents? In June, 2018, author Karen Hamel wrote an article titled “6 Ways to Uncover Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards” for www.ehstoday.com. This article has 6 straightforward, and not always thought of, ways to look for and help prevent worker injuries.
- Sponsor a Contest: Employees are an excellent resource when it to identifying everyday workplace hazards. They know which stair may be a little loose, what soap dispenser is leaky, where they stub their toes on a daily basis, where condensation occurs in the workplace. and which stair rail wobbles. Even though these problems may be easily ignored on a daily basis, by sponsoring a contest, these “little” safety hazards may be brought to light.
- Conduct a Formal Audit: Formal comprehensive workplace audits are very important. While these audits are very time consuming and encompass a lot of areas, they may not focus specifically on floor safety. The National Floor Safety Institute has a list of certified floor safety auditors who can come in and help determine where slip and fall hazards may lie.
- Follow the Liquids: Liquids generally come into a facility and follow the same path to storage. Take a look at the path to find leaks, drips and spills that may cause slippery flooring.
- Ask Vendors for Advice: Floor care vendors are a wonderful resource for new technology and products when it comes to floor safety. If your plant has been in operation for a while, there’s a good chance that the floor cleaning and care isn’t given a lot of thought. Products are simply re-ordered and used the same way. A floor care company may be able to give you advice on new products to increase co-efficient of friction on your current flooring or simply may be able to suggest a new cleaning regimen to help keep floors slip free.
- Review Incident Reports: Incident reports may show a pattern of areas where slip and fall accidents are prone to happen. If several accidents have happened in the loading dock, this may be a good area to inspect for slip and fall hazards.
- Enlist Insurance Carriers: Slip, trip and falls on the same level are a common hazard that insurance would generally like to help prevent as they can be expensive claims. Most insurance carriers can help provide information on floor safety, inspection checklists, training on injury prevention and may even perform a floor safety audit if asked.
These six suggestions are simple ways to help find and prevent slip, trip and fall accidents from happening in your facility. Companies like SLIPNOT Metal Safety Flooring can help determine a solution to almost any slippery flooring area. Metal safety flooring can be easily installed over existing hazardous areas or custom non slip flooring can be incorporated into new builds. Contact a sales representative today for more information on SLIPNOT products.
Hamel, Karen. “6 Ways to Uncover Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards.” EHS Today, June 14, 2018.