Prevention is often the most cost-effective approach to solving a potential problem. Many businesses don’t worry about safety procedures until it’s too late and a lawsuit is in the works – some companies actually assess the risk of injury or death and do noting as a result.
I feel that ensuring the safety of your workers and customers is paramount for the longevity of a company or organization because of the intangible costs if an accident occurs. Rather than the traditional, “If this happens, it will cost this much,” many safety professionals believe that productivity loss, potential business loss, and image degradation are also in the mix after an accident occurs within your company.
Take BP for example – when the spill occurred, BP’s stock plunged into the depths of the abyss, along with the oil. The company spent years attempting to re-invigorate its image after shattering it in the Gulf of Mexico. Wildlife, employees, managers, and shareholders were all affected by the lack of control and prevention.
In the case of slip and fall, which is one of the most prominent forms of worker injury and death, prevention is often the key to success.
How to Prepare
Fall protection – This practice is mandated by OSHA in situations where workers are elevated or suspended in the air above six feet. When working on a platform, even if the worker slips and falls, fall protection will ensure the safety of the worker while help arrives.
If you’re in construction and have workers on rooftops laying materials, anchor points and continual hooking areas are needed as workers span the distance of the roof-line. Without proper fall protection, a simple slip and fall could cost someone their life.
Good Housekeeping Practices – Ensure that training allows workers to identify slippery, wet areas and deal with issues on the spot. Most accidents occur when people fail to take responsibility for a situation and leave dangerous areas untreated. Poor housekeeping or pre-shift and post-shift checklist practices for slippery areas can cause a buildup of hazardous materials within a factory or workplace floor. Ensure that your staff is organized and oversee quality control on a daily basis for best practices.
Provide Safety Shoes – Most safety shoes are slip-resistant and have great traction abilities. Offering these shoes to your employees is essential to the prevention of slip and fall accidents. Even with superior training and housekeeping practices, sudden accidents may occur. Protective footwear will lower the chances of a worker falling due to an unknown spill or wet surface.
Proper Labeling – If the floor is wet, label the area with a barrier or sign clear from all angles. This will help alert workers of potential danger and allow avoidances within the workplace.
Eliminate Obstructed Views – About 65% of all falls occur on flat surfaces, at the same eye level of the worker. These falls do not have fall protection because the worker is not elevated, but nonetheless, major injuries can occur from tripping or slipping on flat surfaces. Keep all areas of employee movement throughout the workplace accessible and unobstructed. Objects in the middle of the floor can trip employees if they are not aware of their surroundings during operations. In addition to removing obstructed views, ensure proper lighting is available to workers, especially if the site is remote and widespread.
This article was written by Matthew Hall. Matt is currently a law student at Stetson Law in Sanford, FL. When Matt is not busy studying for is law classes, he enjoys researching and writing articles on various topics of law. Matt has recently been authoring articles on behalf of Heil-Law, the premier medical malpractice attorney in Central, FL. If you would like to read more of Matt's work, you can visit him on Google+.
