Taking A Closer Look At The Most Common Causes Of Slips And Falls In Business Settings
As a business owner, whether you own a small retail store or a nursing home, one of your biggest worries probably comes from being held liable for injuries and accidents that take place on your property. One of the most alarming however, is easily slips and falls simply because this is one type of accident that often seems the most unavoidable. However, by getting to know the most common reasons for slip and fall injuries at a place of business, you can better work toward making sure you have to deal with these injuries as little as possible. Here is a look at the most common causes of slip and fall cases in a business setting.
Falls are most often caused by wet surfaces or uneven surfaces.
Wet an uneven surfaces are easily the biggest culprit in slip and fall cases, partially due to the fact that some of the causes can be almost unavoidable. Wet and uneven surfaces may be caused by:
- general cleaning practices, such as mopping and waxing
- potholes in the parking area
- loose floor mats or damaged carpeting
- water accumulation in kitchen or service areas
- moisture tracked in on the feet of people inside your business
Even though you may not be able to avoid all problems with wet surfaces, you can be adamant about ensuring you do your part to keep the floors as safe as possible. For example, restricting employees or maintenance from mopping until low-traffic times of day could help.
Slips and falls can often be prevented with adequate training for your employees.
When your employees are not knowledgeable about what can cause slips and falls, it will be less likely they will be alert to problems. Therefore, ill-trained employees can be a huge factor in slip and fall cases. If an employee does not realize that a certain cleaning solution will make the floor more slippery for example, they could inadvertently create a risky scenario.
Slips and falls can be caused by footwear.
In some cases, it is less about the environment of your business and more about what people inside are wearing on their feet. According to the National Floor Safety Institute, 24 percent of slips and falls occur because of footwear. Footwear may not have enough grip on the sole to provide a wearer with enough traction to stay stable. You may not be able to control what customers wear on their feet, but what you can do is ensure you have guidelines in place with your employees about what types of shoes they are allowed to wear on the job.
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