6 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Falls in Your Business
Maintaining workplace safety should be a priority at your business premises. Unlike other incidents, falls are the main culprit for workplace accidents. Hitting your feet on an object can make you lose balance and fall. You may slip if there is less friction between a walking area and your footwear. Unfortunately, these accidents may result in severe trauma like fractures and head injuries.
Keeping the workplace safe
All falls don’t result from trips and slips. People can also fall from heights like roofs, ladders, or stairs. Such falls are likely to result in life-threatening conditions or even death. It is necessary to install roof edge protection on buildings and eliminate other hazards that can cause falls. Below are ways to help remove fall hazards and maintain a safe work environment.
1. Ensure rooftop safety
Besides cleaning a drain or servicing HVAC units, your employees may access the roof for other reasons. You can install roof edge protections to prevent falls from heights. While anchor points can act to restrain people from getting to the roof edge, guard rails serve as a barrier to falls on rooftops. Also, guard rails on roof ladders ensure safe access to roofs.
2. Clean up spills at once
Spills may occasionally occur at your workplace, making the floor slippery. It is best to tidy up the affected surface as soon as it happens. However, placing a warning sign near the affected area before drying it will be necessary. It will inform people that the surface is moist, minimizing the risk of falls.
3. Place signage
You can use signs to draw people’s attention to wet surfaces, loose rugs, uneven areas, and other hazards at the workplace. Marking off such areas with reflective tape will highlight them and improve awareness. You may not prevent customers from tracking in moisture and dirt in walking areas. However, you can prevent such a situation from causing falls.
4. Use entry mats and non-skid rugs
Place a moisture-absorbent doormat inside the entrance doorway. It will reduce the tracking of dirt and moisture in the walking areas. However, ensure that your entry mats have an anti-skid backing to prevent sliding. Non-skid rugs placed on walkways and slippery areas can prevent falls. They have underneath paddings that keep them from slipping out when stepped on.
5. Proper lighting
Use bright bulbs to illuminate your business premises. A well-lit workplace environment reduces the risk of people falling and sustaining injuries. You can easily see potential fall hazards, like steps that shadows may hide. However, replace faulty switches and bulbs immediately after they burn out.
6. Get rid of clutter
People are likely to trip and fall when they step on obstacles on walkways. Ensure that such areas are free of litter. You can arrange items on shelves instead of stacking them on the floor. If you must stack them, start with the heaviest. Also, close drawers after use and remove cables from walkways.
Maintaining safety at heights is essential
You can help prevent falls at elevation by providing supportive options to your employees. Instead of using unstable furniture to reach heights, make stepstools or ladders available to them. Just as you install roof edge protection on rooftops, handrails are also necessary for stairways. Besides, employees should wear footwear that is properly fitted and appropriate for their working conditions.
