3 Ways to Prevent Slip and Fall Accidents

At some point in everyone’s life, gravity sends you sprawling unto the floor. Whether you slip on a spilled liquid, trip due to an electrical cord, or fall because of an icy patch outside of the post office, slip-and-fall incidents are one of the most common types of accidents, as well as one of the most dangerous. According to the US Department of Labor, slip and fall accidents are some of the most typical injury-producing incidents to happen in the workplace.

The following is a list of the most frequent causes of accidents involving slips and falls according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

• Wet and slick floors
• Broken or uneven walkways and sidewalks
• Improper matting or a complete lack of mats
• Unkempt or unspooled extension or electrical cords
• Slips caused by inclement weather, such as sleet, ice, snow or frost

Thankfully, the Montana Advocates have assembled this explainer about the top 3 ways anyone can prevent slip and fall injuries in your home or place of work.

1. Where the Rubber Meets the Ground: How To Stop Slip and Fall Accidents

Easily the best  way to prevent a slip and fall incident in your workplace or home is to put down rubber mats specially designed to grip and keep shoes from slipping and sliding when they are trodden upon. Multiple studies have shown that well over 25,000 slip and fall incidents occur every day in the United States, and the best way to prevent such incidents from taking place at all is by putting down proper matting designed to help reduce needless slips and falls. It’s wise to only us floor matting determined to be of ‘high traction’ by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Anything less than this standard will likely not be adequate enough to keep people standing on their own two feet.

2. Sign For The Times: Use Safety Signs To Prevent Slips

The next best way to prevent slip and falls is to deploy warning signs. After you mistakenly spill a liquid or food item on the floor, the very first thing you should do is post a safety sign warning the area is a hazardous for anyone who may be walking nearby. Such signs are typically colored bright yellow and are easy to see from a distance. Regardless of whether you quickly clean up the slick surface, you should still station a warning sign as a reminder to other people that they should put safety first and always be attentive to any potentially dangerous surface.

3. Slip Shoes: Safety Before Fashion

The most proactive way to prevent landing on your backside and becoming a victim of a slip and fall incident is to buy a dependable pair of slip-resistant shoes. Technology has come far over the last generation and slip-resistant shoes are now able to grip and grab onto the floor in almost any slick situation. So the next time you’re shopping, do yourself a favor and pick up the best pair of slip-resistant shoes you can find. Trust us. You’ll thank me later.

Contact The Montana Advocates Today

Did you know that each and every year over 8 million people are injured in slip and fall incidents just in the US alone? Often, such injuries could have been avoided if common sense precautions, like the ones above, had been taken ahead of time. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident due to another person’s recklessness, you will need an Advocate on your side to deal with the legal aftermath.

The attorneys with the Montana Advocates have decades of experience helping slip and fall accident victims just like you. Don’t hesitate to get back on your feet again. Contact the Montana Advocates today for a free case evaluation. You can either call us at (406) 534-7179 or chat online immediately with a live attorney from our homepage. Don’t wait. Contact us today. You deserve an Advocate!