Easy Ways to Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents

Few things reward recklessness more than a mouthy lawyer demanding cash for his clumsy client claiming that you are responsible for some oblivious idiot slipping and falling on your property. In some cases they may actually have a valid argument if you or another employee created a hazard that no reasonable person could anticipate, but usually they base their argument on a technicality related to a lack of due diligence because you didn't identify a minor hazard and built a wall around it like the one in China to keep people from coming into contact with it. Do to today's frivolous action friendly legal climate it is important to educate employees of how not to slip and fall on their big behinds in ways that will not fill their minds with dreams of falling for big bucks. Carnegie Mellon University put together a nice guide containing tips that if properly taught can help employees become safety minded instead of lawsuit seeking.

Accidental slips occur when there is too little traction between someones feet and the surface they are walking on. Safety minded employees can avoid slipping by walking carefully, wearing shoes with good traction, and being aware of their surroundings. The complete list of solutions (linked to above) is far more inclusive and a useful guide for teaching employees how to behave.

Businesses can reduce the likelihood of accidental slips and falls by making sure employees know how to stay on their feet, but also by marking slippery surfaces with signs, barriers, or security tape. Beyond that there isn't much you can do to prevent a convenient slip and fall from happening, but video surveillance has the potential to prove the difference between opportunistic falls and accidental slips.

Conclusion

Do everything you can to keep your employees on their feet. Failure to do so may result in a costly settlement or less expensive, yet still costly legal fees necessary to expose convincing performances by falling actors.