Avoiding Slips, Trips And Falls At Your Business
Employers need to do all they can to make safety a priority in the workplace. Your employees have the right to feel safe from slips, trips and falls when on your premises. It is your duty to eliminate hazards and harmful materials which could cause harm to staff.
Slips, trips and falls cause a lot of pain and cost businesses a lot of money. Avoid excessive staff sickness by installing the correct health and safety procedures, equipment and signs to ensure you are complying with the law.
The majority of falls are caused by contamination; spillages or wet flooring. These are easily avoided with appropriate housekeeping. 95% of major slips result in one or more broken bones, yet it is simple and cheap to carry out the necessary controls to avoid slips. Prevention techniques and controls include prevention of spillages, proper cleaning regimes, ensuring proper footwear, design of the workplace and activities, maintenance of the workplace and effective training and supervision.
The most common causes of slips are usually wet surfaces. These can be easily avoided by having a policy which ensures spillages are cleared up quickly and that wet floor warning signs are used to alert staff and customers of the potential hazard.
Employees should also be encouraged to wear the correct footwear whilst onsite. Trips occur when your foot strikes an object and you lose your balance. These are often caused by obtruding objects and so it is important to keep access ways clear from obstructions.
Trip hazards can occur indoors and out so no matter what your work premises consists of there are hazards to look out for.
If, for instance, you work in a builder’s yard or warehouse, you may want to check for loose pavement slabs, broken handrails and report them or fix them as soon as possible. Package strapping can also be a big hazard. If your work receives parcels which are bound with strapping make sure you supply your workplace with the correct refuse facilities to dispose of such items.
Staff carrying a large box or other item, in particular, may not see plastic strapping discarded on the floor and are likely to slip on it.
Falls are usually accidents which occur from a height such as down the stairs or off a ladder. If you work in an office make sure you discourage staff from using chairs as ladders to reach high objects. When faced with potentially dangerous situations you should assess the risk involved and use common sense.
Employers have the power to avoid slips, trips and falls and other accidents in the workplace. To avoid slips, trips and falls you can consider the layout of your premises, the lighting and flooring used, consider how you would cope with weather, spills and drainage, supply the right machinery and equipment and provide staff training and signage.
There are many areas of law covering health and safety in the workplace, and it is your responsibility as an employer to ensure these are met.
There are many disciplinary actions which can take place if you do not prevent slips, trips and falls in the workplace which will destroy even the largest of companies. Checking your policies, procedures and staff training must be done regularly to maintain a safe workplace.
The Interactive Health and Safety Company (iHASCO) has been providing you with training programmes for various sectors including education since 1993. The truly interactive training programmes including a session on preventing slips, trips and falls, are simple to use, low priced and allows your business to fulfill health and safety requirements without too much hassle.
Health and safety training by iHASCO
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