How to Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents in the Workplace

We’d all like to feel safe in our workspaces, but not everyone works behind a desk. Some jobs place employees at a greater risk for workplace accidents, including slip and fall accidents. Around 2.6 million non-fatal workplace accidents happen each year, with slips, trips, and falls, among the most common accidents occurring in the workplace, accounting for about 25% of all on-the-job injuries. Sadly, falls are the second most common cause of death in the workplace.

Slips occur when spilled liquids or oily floor surfaces cause too little friction between shoe treads and the floor or ground. Trips commonly occur when the foot hits an obstruction or debris on the floor, and falls may result from slips and trips as well as from unstable stair rails, ladders, ramps, and scaffolds.

Our Atlanta slip & fall lawyers understand that when employees sustain injuries on the job, it has a negative impact on productivity in the workplace and the cost of workers’ compensation insurance, as well as on the health and well-being of the injury victim. 

Employers have a duty of care to keep their employees and customers safe in the workplace. Managers can minimize the risk of slip and fall accidents in the workplace by proactively preventing these accidents before they occur.

Workplace Safety Tips to Prevent Slip & Fall Accidents

According to OSHA, employers can minimize the risk of workplace slip and fall accidents through the following safety practices:

• Installing adequate lighting in all work areas
• Installing slip-resistant flooring
• Ensuring that all stairs and ramps have sturdy handrails
• Placing brightly colored safety strips at the edges of steps, stairs, or changes in elevation within the workplace
• Place absorbent, non-slip mats in doorways during rainy or snowy weather
• Secure all mats and rugs to the floor
• Use good cord management systems in workspaces
• Practice good safety habits and follow OSHA guidelines for managing ladders and scaffolds in the workplace
• Never use floor cleaning products that leave the floor slippery

It’s also important to use “wet floor” signs after mopping and to promptly clean any accidental spills or leaks.

Employee Practices to Prevent Slip & Fall Accidents on the Job

By training employees to take specific precautions and reducing high-risk behaviors in the workplace, employers can help prevent slip and fall accidents. Some helpful employee practices include:

• Prohibiting running in work areas
• Discouraging employee rough-housing in the workspace
• Ensuring employees wear appropriate footwear
• Keeping workplace rules in place to prevent employees from leaving tools, equipment, and debris on the floors
• Instructing employees to keep workspaces clean and dry
• Training housekeeping and groundskeeping staff in slip-and-fall prevention methods, such as patching holes, keeping gravel and mulch out of walkways, and replacing or repairing cracked or loose paving stones, tiles, or bricks as needed

Many employers and employees have the mistaken belief that slip and fall accidents just happen and nothing can prevent them. While there is no way to prevent all falls, our Atlanta workplace injury lawyers recommend employers to help minimize fall risks by taking steps to prevent falls before they happen.