Preventing Trip Accidents

The Oxford Dictionary defines a trip as “an act of falling or nearly falling down, because you have hit your foot against something”. There are many ways that trips can happen in the workplace, however lots of these could be avoided by taking the following steps: Look out for any trip hazards, such as uneven floors or trailing cables, and report them immediately to your employer or manager, encouraging good housekeeping by your employees will help to prevent trips.

A common reason for tripping that lots of people often ignore is when you are carrying something such as a box and you cannot clearly see the way ahead of you. Always make sure that you check the route you are going to take when carrying the item, to ensure it is free of clutter and you are aware of any
possible trip hazards. Then, when you are carrying the item, make sure that no-one gets in your way. On the flip side of this, make sure that if YOU move or put something down, be sure to check that it is not in the way of anyone carrying something else, which could possibly cause them to trip over it.

Make sure all employees wear footwear that is suitable for the environment they are working in. This may be a special type of PPE, such as steel toe-capped boots or extra-friction shoes. Also make sure that any footwear is a good fit and that they are comfortable. Make sure that all flooring in the workplace is suitable for its own environment, which may mean that different rooms or even different areas of the same room will require different floor types. Floors likely to get wet should be of a certain type that does not then become unduly slippery. All of these considerations should be made in your workplace to minimise the risk of an incident occurring.