Common Mistakes that Lead to Slip and Fall Cases
Every year thousands of people file slip and fall cases. These common cases are easily avoided if the correct precautions are taken and can save a company a lot of stress and loss. Here are the most common causes of slip and fall cases that can be prevented.
Wet or uneven surfaces can lead to slip and fall cases
Over half of the slip and fall cases are caused by dangerous or uneven walking surfaces. Keep walking surfaces dry and avoid these problems to ensure the safety of your surfaces:
- Cluttered floors
- Loose floorboards
- Defective sidewalks
- Potholes in parking lots
- Poorly constructed staircases
- Ripped carpeting
- Wet and slippery floors
Weather conditions can lead to a slip and fall case
Several slip and fall cases come from wet or icy sidewalks. In order to prevent this, property owners should be plowing the streets, shoveling the sidewalks and salting the steps and walkways. If they fail to do this, they can be held responsible in a slip and fall case.
Improper training can lead to a slip and fall case
Some slip and fall cases come from the workplace. Make sure employees are properly trained to handle slick and slippery surfaces if they are required to work on them. If companies fail to train their employees properly they may be held responsible in a slip and fall case.
Nursing home neglect can lead to a slip and fall case
Nursing home administrators must pay extra care and attention to the elderly because they have less sense of balance. Failure to properly monitor and assist nursing home residents can lead to a slip and fall case and can even lead to a more life threatening injury.
Footwear can lead to a slip and fall injury
You can’t tell everyone what shoes to wear to ensure their safety, but you can require employees to wear certain shoes. Make sure employees are wearing the right footwear while working because even some sneakers or work boots can be slippery on certain surfaces.
Photo courtesy of Flickr by Michael Pereckas.
