Three Ways to Protect Against Slip and Fall Liability
09.19.2022 | Business Litigation
Every year, more than 8,000,000 people go to the emergency room due to a slip and fall accident. Falling accidents are one of the leading causes of injuries annually. For businesses, the legal liability from slip and falls can be a nightmare.
It is important to protect your company from the legal and financial burdens of slip and fall accidents. The best way to protect your business is to prevent falling accidents in the first place. If you are facing a slip and fall lawsuit, consult with a skilled business lawyer as soon as possible.
In the following post, we will discuss three standard ways that you can work to protect your company against slip and fall liability.
Take Preventative Measures
While liability protection from an insurance plan is helpful, prevention is even more effective. Avoiding slip and fall accidents before they happen is the best way to protect your business interests.
There are many effective safety measures that can decrease the probability of falling accidents. These include:
Using Grip Materials and Carpeting on Slippery Floors
Rubber mats, carpets, and grippers can help to give slippery surfaces more traction. When customers or employees need to walk on slick or wet floors, they run the risk of falling.
Pay special attention to areas of high traffic, as well as ramps and stairs. Places where people tend to change their direction of movement can also be precarious. Check these spots regularly to ensure that plenty of traction is available and that spills are addressed right away.
Walkways near external doors can also present hazards. Carpeted mats provide a space for people to remove water, mud, or snow from their shoes before entering. This makes falling accidents much less likely to occur.
Regular Cleaning and Maintenance
Some slip and fall accidents are caused by a lack of regular cleaning and maintenance. Even small objects like paper towels, napkins or other debris may cause someone to slip.
Rooms with running water should be cleaned regularly and the floors should be kept dry. A wet bathroom or break room floor is often an accident waiting to happen.
Develop your company’s cleaning schedule with fall prevention in mind. Be sure to tend to the most likely spots regularly to prevent dangerous messes or garbage from accumulating.
Secure Wiring and Electrical Cords
Most modern businesses have cables and wires running throughout the workplace. Computers, phones, lighting, routers, and other kinds of office equipment often have extended electrical cables.
Cords and wiring can be incredibly hazardous when they run across walkways. They can also cause people to trip or slip when they are not secured. This can cause injuries and property damage.
Secure cables and wiring along the walls and away from areas of high foot traffic. Some companies run their electrical cables along the insides of walls to prevent trips and slips. If you have to have a cable across a walkway, consider using electrical tape to secure it to the floor and mark it with a bright color for increased visibility.
Reassess Your Practices if a Slip and Fall Does Occur
Preventative measures and insurance coverage are both helpful. But sometimes a slip and fall may occur despite your best efforts. If that happens, it is important to locate the source of the problem and prevent further accidents from happening.
For example, if a person slipped while entering through a particular doorway, you may want to install relevant signage or improve lighting conditions in that space.
While it is better to prevent falling accidents than to react to them, not all hazards are foreseeable. By addressing problems as soon as they are reported and providing regular training for employees to encourage vigilance against hazards, you can help to protect your business against slip and fall liability.
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Our attorneys are here to help you explore legal strategies that resolve today’s business disputes and prevent further disputes from occurring in the future. To learn more about how we can help you achieve your business law goals, call our law offices at 949-474-0940.