How Your Business Can Avoid Slip and Fall Claims
Slip and trip claims have the potential to cost your business a great deal of money and damage its your reputation. Each year there are literally thousands of claims made by staff and customers who have been the victim of a slip or trip in businesses, which were not their fault. Here in Buffalo NY slip and fall lawyers are regularly asked by companies to advise them on ways in which they can reduce the number of slip and fall accidents and the reality is that this is far easier than many businesses realize. If you run a business then here are some very simple steps to avoid the risk of legal problems from slips and falls.
Removal of Clutter
The key to making sure that your business is working and to mitigating this risk is creating a culture amongst your employees to remind them of the importance of good housekeeping. One of the most common reasons for slips and falls is clutter in aisles and walkways, a real own goal for businesses when something so easy to remove causes such big implications.
Stairways
Stairways which are not well maintained and well-lit can often result in a high-risk location in the business for slips and falls. Not only is it easier to fall on a step, but the likelihood of injury is also far higher. This is exactly why your company must ensure that stairs are a key area of focus when it looks to safeguard the workplace.
Loose Wires
Given the sheer volume of digital and electronic equipment which we have in the business, it is critical that you have addressed the placement of the cables and wires running from machinery. This can very easily cause someone to fall over if they catch their foot, and it can cause damage to the person and to the equipment too. So many companies are guilty of not properly hiding away cables, which is a very simple task that can eradicate the risk of a slip or fall.
Signage
In the event that there is a hazard within the workplace, it is essential that you are using signage to identify and warn customers and employees about it. Occasionally issues will occur that could present a hazard, so taking swift action will be the best way for you to reduce the risks that someone slips or falls over.
Risk Assessment
It is important that the business has responsible parties who will carry out a regular risk assessments to ensure that the workplace is safe at all times. Issues can quickly arise and if you fail to assess the potential risks, your business could easily get caught out. At all times the management team should be aware of any risks which exist.
Creating a culture of workers who are conscious of the dangers of slip and trip hazards is not easy, but once you have done so you will be in a far better place when it comes to protecting workers and customers.
