Preventing Trips in the Workplace: Essential Tips and Strategies

Understanding Trips

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, many of these can be avoided by taking the following steps:

Identify and Report Trip Hazards

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.

Safe Carrying Practices

A common reason for tripping, which many people often ignore, is when carrying something such as a box and being unable to clearly see the way ahead. Always check the route you are going to take when carrying an item to ensure it is free of clutter and you are aware of any possible trip hazards. When carrying the item, make sure that no-one gets in your way.

On the flip side, ensure that if you move or put something down, it is not in the way of anyone carrying something else, which could possibly cause them to trip over it.

Proper Footwear

Ensure all employees wear footwear that is suitable for the environment they are working in. This may include special types of PPE, such as steel toe-capped boots or extra-friction shoes. Additionally, make sure that any footwear is a good fit and comfortable.

Appropriate Flooring

Make sure all flooring in the workplace is suitable for its environment. This 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 type that does not become unduly slippery.

Conclusion

By identifying and reporting trip hazards, encouraging good housekeeping, ensuring safe carrying practices, providing appropriate footwear, and installing suitable flooring, the risk of trips in the workplace can be significantly minimised.