Slip, trip, and fall accidents account for many accidents in the workplace every year. In some cases, these might be caused by employee negligence or inattention; in others, these cases could have been easily prevented by taking the proper security measures. Thankfully, with appropriate risk assessment and implementing the right adjustments, you can create a much safer workplace and reduce those risks. Let’s look at what you can do to reduce fall hazards in the workplace.
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Use Better Design
The best way to reduce fall risks is by ensuring they aren’t built into the workplace design. Prevention through design is the principle through which various hazards are identified in the design phase and when introducing new processes.
Evaluating safety measures from the earliest stages ensures maximum safety for your workers. It has to start in the construction phase and be carried on into operations and continuous maintenance. This means ensuring that things like guardrails are part of the design and that the work floor remains as safe as possible. Embedding safety into the plan will cost less than making adjustments; later on, adjustments might be even more difficult due to design limitations.
Lighting
Ensuring that walking areas inside and outside the workplace are properly lit will reduce slip and falls chances. Adding spotlights and illuminated steps in important areas prone to mistakes will reduce the chances of falls for your employees and customers.
Don’t Rely Too Much on Protective Equipment.
Work on applying measures that will protect your employees whether they’re wearing equipment. While protective gear is essential – and even mandatory in some cases – you shouldn’t cut corners and focus on equipment too much. Research has shown that employees often neglect protective equipment, which can still expose them to risk. That’s why you should focus more on controls like fall protection equipment that will work whether your employees are using PPE or not.
Check Floor Condition
Ensure that the floor is in pristine condition, whether inside the workshop or not. Check for any holes or cracks in the outside pavement or the building flooring. Make sure that you add non-slip rugs in areas that might get slippery. Also, ensure that there’s non-slip padding beneath them to prevent them from slipping away.
Ensure that your spill cleaning supplies are marked and easy to access. Have plenty of warning signs to protect workers in case of spills, and if there are spills, make sure there is a clear contingency plan and that your employees know it.
Conclusion
Reducing fall hazards is essential if you care about the safety and well-being of your employees. Ensure that you apply the measures in this article to remain compliant and reduce the chance of accidents.
