Preventing slips and falls in the warehouse is everyone’s responsibility. Both the employees and the employers must come together to maintain a safe workplace.
While it could prove a wild goose chase trying to eliminate accidents completely, there are a number of measures you can take to minimize foreseeable incidents. As an employer, you are likely to be on the receiving end of numerous personal injury claims that may not only bring business operations to unnecessary stops but also ruin your good reputation. It is thus important that you not only take measures of precaution but also have slip and fall lawyers such as Fisher and Talwar by your side for when you are facing lawsuits.
Let’s take a look at some of the steps that can be taken to reduce slip and fall accidents in a warehouse.
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Train your employers
Some accidents are the result of employees’ lack of knowledge of the type of floor they are walking on. Some surfaces are just too slippery for reckless movements. It would be crucial to have all workers trained on proper walking techniques for specific floor conditions.
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Proper attire
The safety impacts of employee attire in a warehouse setting cannot be overlooked. If one is not dressed properly, they can easily trip and fall and sustain a serious injury. One of your responsibilities as an employer is to ensure all employees are dressed appropriately for the task at hand. Any employee or visitor wearing inappropriate attire should not be allowed in the warehouse.
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Be quick to identify and fix hazards
While preventing disasters is better than cleaning messes, employers may not always be able to detect hazards immediately. Some accidents are bound to happen if employers don’t get involved.
Workers must be trained to spot hazards and report them to the management. From loose cables to cluttered stairways, everyone working in the warehouse must have basic knowledge of what constitutes an imminent tragedy.
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Alertness
Most accidents occur when people aren’t attentive to what they are doing. Emphasis should be put on employees being alert and not engaging in multiple tasks at any time.
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Awareness of the risks
One way to do away with deliberate recklessness in the warehouse is to ensure all workers are aware of what they are facing in the event of an accident. Employees are certainly more likely to adhere to the rules when they have all the facts on the table.
Slips and trips are generally bad for business. When an accident occurs, employees have to stop to attend to the injured person. They may also need to call the medical team, wait for them to arrive, and, sometimes, offer some assistance.
Workplace injuries also have psychological effects on employees. Workers who witnessed the incident or attended to the victim are likely to be affected by memories of what they say for hours or even days afterward. Your company’s reputation may also be tainted by frequent news of slip and fall injuries, as people may assume your employees work in an unsafe environment.