In today’s day and age, workplace safety has become more paramount than ever. Unfortunately, trips, slips and falls have become more common and is the leading cause of accidents and injuries in the workplace. Some of the injuries that can result from such accidents range from lacerations and sprains to bread injuries and broken bones. In order to reduce potential hazards that can lead to such unfortunate circumstances, follow these tips.
Fix The Lighting
Businesses often overlook this step because they typically associate injuries with surfaces or faulty machinery. However, the lighting is paramount to preventing certain injuries. Proper lighting will help illuminate areas that can be common for customers or employees to fall. This includes certain hazards or steps that can potentially be hidden by shadows or darkness.
If proper lighting such as spotlights and illuminated steps re-installed, the chances that an individual will slip on those surfaces will decrease dramatically. If the lighting isn’t addressed, more accidents are prone to occur, and this may require someone to hire a personal injury attorney.
Keep Surfaces Clean
In terms of the actual walking surface, keeping them clean is also important to prevent injuries. The priority should be to remove any unnecessary clutter from the pathway that can cause people to slip unnecessarily.
A path that is unobstructed will prevent the chances of someone losing their balance and injuring themselves, which may cause them to get a Tampa personal injury attorney. Spills occur and objects can fall in the workplace all the time. That is why remaining vigilant and observing the environment at all times is crucial to the safety of all workers.
Signage
From a wet floor sign to reflective tape, physical signs need to be given to all people who inhabit the environment to ensure proper safety. Well-placed signs will cause attention to a certain issue that may cause someone to get hurt.
One of the most common workplace injuries are people slipping on wet surfaces, and a lot of these accidents can be prevented if people know that a certain area is wet. Should someone make the assumption that the surface is solid and not slippery, this can result in someone falling and considering to get themselves a personal injury attorney in the process.
Signs that indicate uneven ground, a gap, loose rocks, and other hazards have to be accounted for. If not, workers will not receive the proper warning, and a lawsuit may not be too far behind.
Mange Cords
Whatever workplace environment you may find yourself in, it is highly likely that you will find power cords in any capacity. Phone, internet and power cords are bound to be anywhere. If there is a sea of these cords, it isn’t uncommon for customers and employees to get themselves tangled and potentially trip because of it.
A general rule of thumb is to run cables behind walls, under carpets, or just keep them hidden altogether. Also, all business environments should ideally have power outlets and internet connections installed in easily accessible locations so that people will not have to run cables across walkways. A Tampa personal injury attorney may be needed in situations where someone trips over such a cable which causes serious harm, so do not get yourself into this situation.
Clean Spills Up Immediately
Most injuries that take place in the workplace are floor related. However, floor injuries are also one of the easiest kinds of injuries that can be prevented. It is all about diligence and not delaying in action. In this situation, if there is a spill of any liquid or object, it needs to be cleaned up immediately.
If a liquid spills on to the floor, it creates a slippery and hazardous floor that people can easily slip on. If a hard object penetrates the floor, it can cause gaps that people may not normally account for.
Certain trips and falls can be attributed to being clumsy, but these accidents are easily preventable if proper action is taken in a timely manner. Surveying the environment before, during and after business operations is imperative to ensure that there is a safe environment for both the customer and the employee.
Proactive attention can prevent hazards and keep all occupants free of harm. Follow these tips, and you will be one step closer to maintaining a safe environment