Tips on Avoiding a Slip and Fall Injury
In basic terms, a slip and fall injury case occurs when someone suffers an injury from a slip or fall occurring on someone else’s property. Depending on the nature of the fall – for example, if the fall occurred due to the dangerous or negligent conditions of the property – the owner of the property may be found responsible for the injury and the victim could have grounds to launch a premises liability claim against them.
Of course, if you’re the owner of a property that is frequently visited by the public, e.g. a restaurant, the easiest way to avoid such a claim being launched against you is by preventing slips and falls occurring on your property in the first place. Here are some tips on making your property a slip and fall-free zone.
1. Keep the Place Clean
Many accidents can often be avoided by simply keeping things areas neat and tidy. Particularly if you work in the hospitality industry, your property will be susceptible to spills. Make sure that whenever drinks or any other spillages occur, you clean it up as soon as possible. And most importantly, also make sure that you place a “Hazard: Wet Floor” sign over the area, alerting people to take caution when walking over the wet floor. Additionally, try to keep the floor clear of any unnecessary items such as boxes or cables or anything that could potentially be tripped over.
2. Practice Logic
If you maintain a strict procedure of mopping the floor each day, or stacking the shelves, try and do this before or after operating hours. And if this is not possible, try to reserve such activities for times when business is not so busy. It might not be the most convenient time for you, but if you can do anything to lower or avoid the risk of a customer slipping on a freshly mopped floor or tripping over a box, it’s definitely worth it.
3. Don’t Put Off Routine Tasks
Many slips and falls have occurred simply because a light wasn’t replaced and a customer couldn’t see a step or where they were going. Whether you’re the owner of the building or have been put in charge for the day, it’s your responsibility to ensure that regular maintenance checks of the property are taken and that any issues, no matter how minor they might seem, are resolved as soon as possible.
4. Install Safer Floors
It’s impossible to ensure that every customer you walks through your property is wearing footwear with appropriate grip on the sole – so one of the easiest ways to avoid people from slipping is to provide floor materials that they are less likely to slip on. Tiles or polished wooden floors may look nice and give your property the more sophisticated atmosphere that you’re looking for but a simple, sturdier floor material could very well save you from a premise liability case down the track, and that is definitely worth looking into.
