Hardly a year passes by without people in Australia suffering from injuries of varying severity due to a fall, a slip or Trip.

This has not only resulted in millions upon millions being paid as compensation, but also caused thousands of lost workdays, leading to a considerable dip in overall national productivity rates.

So far, we have only mentioned the monetary aspect of the consequences of taking a bad fall.

The physical injuries caused from such accidents tend to be severe. Yet, they are rarely part of any considerations that corporations and government provide for the unfortunate people who have suffered.  However, there are a few fairly common Trip Hazards that can be avoided easily if a bit of elementary prudence is exercised.

Proper Lighting is Always Very Important

Proper lighting is of extreme importance at the workplace and at home. This is because poor or dim lighting is often a major reason for accidents. In order to ensure that trip hazards are kept to a bare minimum, the following precautions should be taken:

• All work areas (especially those cluttered with machinery) should be well-lit and clean
• Upon entering any dark room, one should stop near the doorway and proceed to switch on the lights first
• It is very important to keep all badly lit walkways totally clear of obstructions
• Keep the area around the light switches and the fuse completely clear and accessible
• Give high importance to the repair of light fixtures, switches as well as extension cords

Getting Rid of Obstacles in Walkways and Aisles

Quite a few injuries have been caused by tripping and falling because of obstacles, grease patches, clutter, boxes and cartons lying in and around entranceways and corridors in buildings. This becomes even more of an extremely dangerous hazard when objects are casually left on stairwells and staircases. An unfortunate person coming down the staircase in speed will surely trip and fall if these obstacles are not removed. Here are a few steps that can be taken to ensure this does not happen:

• Encourage safe work practices at all times. Share the information present at the trip safe website with co-workers and family members.
• Make a habit of closing desks and file cabinets after use
• Avoid leaving various files, boxes, or other objects in and around the aisles
• Try and carry out periodic inspections for all such hazards, as and when required

Always remember that “forewarned is forearmed.”

If the above steps are taken, it will go a long way in ensuring that the workplace remains hazard-free.

The post How to Reduce Trip Hazards at the Workplace and Even Beyond? appeared first on Insane Visions.