Accidents Happen! Suggestions to help business owners prevent slips, trips, and falls.

2022-04-25
By: Advocate Brokerage

Accidents happen. One of the most common occurrences we see that affect our commercial customers are slip and fall accidents. Each year, millions of people are treated in emergency rooms related to injuries sustained in slips, trips, or falls. It’s smart for property owners to do what they can to prevent the possibility of injury before they occur.

The top slip, trip, and fall hazards are:

• Staircases are a common place for slips, trips, and falls to occur. To avoid placing any of your employees or guests at risk:
  • Make repairs to stair ways that have unsteady or broken handrails.
  • Attempt to repair steps that have irregular sizes, if not, make sure you put warning signs in plain view.
  • Update lighting in stairwells that are dark.
  • Frequently check stairwells to ensure that there are no objects left on them.
• Escalators that are not in service can cause accidents because they are not the correct height for normal walking. If possible: Block off the escalator so that no one uses it as a stairway to get to the next level.
• Walkways can have cracks that create uneven surfaces. These cracks could have been created for several reasons such as settling or damage after a storm. Poor weather conditions can also cause slipping, tripping, or falling when puddles of water collect and/or freeze up. Be sure to schedule regular inspections of walkways to ensure they there are no uneven surfaces or debris. Have an inclement weather plan in place so that you can do your best to prevent injuries.
• If your property has a parking area, there are many places for a slip and fall or trip and fall incident to occur. Plan to:
  • Make sure the area is well lit so that people can see tripping hazards before an accident occurs.
  • If there are speed bumps or wheel stops, regularly paint them with a bright color so that they will stand out.
  • Be on the look out for uneven surfaces and schedule maintenance as soon as possible. In the meantime, block off dangerous areas with cones or tape so that no one is injured before the repair is made.

Our goal is to help our commercial clients run successful businesses. If you haven’t already, we recommend that you create a formal slip, trip, and fall prevention program. If you have any questions regarding your business’ insurance coverage, reach out to us at 914-723-7100. We would be happy to discuss your specific risk factors and offer suggestions to ensure that your business is protected.