The workplace can provide a lot of potential dangers to a person’s physical health and well-being. Unfortunately, some of these dangers can come in unexpected places, too.
Slip-and-fall injuries are the result of many of these unexpected and often commonplace dangers.
Tripping hazards
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discuss common causes of slip-and-fall injuries. The first step to prevention comes in the form of understanding the cause of dangers, after all.
First, know that dangers may exist even in a benign environment like an office space. Any sort of uneven flooring may cause a person to trip. This includes differences in floor height, changes in the flooring from one surface type to another, throw rugs or area rugs, and thick carpeting.
Wires also pose a major issue. If left out in the open, people can trip over them. Even if they get hidden under electrical floor strips, it is possible for someone to trip on the cover.
Slipping hazards
Slips often happen when the floor is overly slick, and thus is not as much of a problem with carpeted or highly textured floors. It is not impossible, but it is much more likely to occur on already smooth surfaces, like tile or wood.
Common causes of slips include spills that do not get cleaned up quickly, weather leaving water at the entrance and exit of a shop and cleaned floors without proper warning signs.
These risks occur in just about any workplace, and they can cause great harm to people who fall victim to them.
