Slips, trips and falls remain a top workplace hazard. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips, trips and falls cause nearly 700 fatalities per year and many more accidents. And guess what? Most of these accidents are completely preventable.
OSHA provides general industry regulations on walking and working surfaces that protect people from hazards like clutter, protruding objects and wet and greasy conditions. Compliance is critical and so is daily attention to slip and fall hazards.
At SLIPNOT, our safe walking surface experts recommend looking down and inspecting the 10% or more space in your facility that’s high risk for slips, trips and falls. Here’s where:
Different types of flooring: Slips, trips, and falls happen most when a person moves from a higher friction surface (like cement) to a lower surface (ice). We’ve seen up to 10 different types of flooring in a single main thoroughfare in a plant. That’s 10 or more opportunities for people to slip and fall as they walk from one type of surface to the next.
Wet surfaces: Any place where chemicals are used (oil changes or chemical manufacturing), grease is created from food or cooking (kitchens or food processing), or water is present (craft brewing and bottling) present slip and fall hazards. Liquids and grease can make already low-friction surfaces even more slippery. And don’t forget the drains that catch these liquids and grease – most of us can’t help but step on them and carry the moisture with them. That means greater space for slips and fall hazards.
High-traffic areas: Main walkways are inherently high risk for slips, trips and falls because there are so many people in a single space. Maximize safety for people in these bustling crosshairs.
Production lines: Critical equipment and supply areas required for production pose slip and fall risks. This includes mixers, cutting tooling and knives – some of which are below the actual floor. If not well protected, secondary consequences of slip and fall accidents can be severe or even deadly.
Entryways and other indoor/outdoor spaces: Loading docks, bays, foyers and entryways are exposed to outdoor elements – and we’ve all tracked mud, snow and water. Slippery when wet signs and neoprene mats are often used as temporary quick fixes to mitigate slippery situations. However, as mats wear and curl, they become trip hazards themselves.
Elevated surfaces: Slip, trip and fall hazards are multiplied at elevation. Platforms, catwalks, mezzanines, crossovers, stairs, ladders, and other elevated structures are everywhere – we need them to be safe and slip resistant.
Make Your Drain Cover a Safety Hero
There’s so much to consider when designing and maintaining a drain system. Safety, sanitation, extreme temperatures, chemicals, cleaning protocols, and more. At SLIPNOT, we celebrate drain covers because they not only tell you when there’s issues underground, it’s also one of the greatest safety hazards in your operation.
Your drain cover can be the hero of your drainage system by simply making an appointment for them to made slip resistant. Send SLIPNOT your existing drain covers based upon your schedule. We will apply our non-slip technology to your covers in our factory-controlled environment. We can complete and turnaround your hero in as little as 24 hours. Reduce over 90% of slips and falls in the slipperiest places in your work environment and avoid a $60,000 loss in worker productivity with this miniscule investment.
Simply use our form to schedule time with our Walking and Working Surface experts.
