Slips, trips, and falls can happen in any area of any workplace — from the office to the production floor to the loading dock to the warehouse and everywhere in between. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips, trips, and falls cause the majority of general industry workplace accidents and cost employers billions of dollars annually in lost productivity and business.
The good news is that many of these injuries can be prevented by following recommended safe work practices and OSHA’s walking-working surface regulations, which apply to all general industry employers and include floors, aisles, stairways, ladders, platforms, roofs, and more.
In addition to general awareness of potential slip, trip, and fall hazards in the workplace, employees should be able to:
- Recognize when a hazard assessment is required;
- Identify when an inspection is required;
- Recognize various fall protection options; and
- Determine when/if training or refresher training is needed.