Falls at work are one of the most common causes of accidents. When a worker falls over, they could receive an injury that sends them to hospital, and if this happens, you will lose a worker for days or even weeks, lowering your productivity. But they could also choose to take legal action if you were at fault, making it even more important to reduce the risks. Here is a guide to preventing falls at work so that you can ensure your employees stay safe.

Clean Up Spills Straight Away

Have a rule in place where spills must be cleaned up immediately after occurring. Make sure you have a mop and bucket accessible to all of your employees, and also ensure you have some safety signs that you can put up to warn people of the danger of wet floors. An absorbent floor mat makes the job of cleaning up easier and faster.

Get Rid of Hazards

You have a legal duty to ensure your place of work is safe for all of your workers, and that means taking measures to make sure no undue risks are presented to them.

In the case of trips and falls, this means ensuring that wires, machinery and other obstacles do not present a risk. For example, in an office, if the wires of a computer stick out into the corridor, this could present a risk to employees.

The floor should also be safe, so make sure you regularly look out for cracks in the floor or areas where the carpet is frayed. Do not hesitate to seek help from a local carpet repair company if you find it necessary!

Improve the Lighting

Poor lighting can increase the risk of falls, so make sure your lighting is adequate throughout your place of work. This is especially important in darker areas of your premises where there are no windows. If an employee falls over an obstruction because they could not see it properly, this could lead to legal action if it resulted in a personal injury.

Make Sure Steps Are Safe

Steps present an even greater risk to employees. Steps that are broken, wet or not level can increase the risk of falls, so make sure you check all the steps in your place of work to ensure they are safe to use.

Take Special Care when Employees Work at Height

If your place of work involves employees working at height, such as in a warehouse, you will need to take special care to ensure they are safe from falls. This will mean ensuring they use the correct equipment, and making sure they use harnesses so that they cannot fall.

Stay Safe At Work

Make sure your place of work is safe for everyone, not just employees, but also customers and clients. If someone becomes injured from a fall at your place of work, this could cause problems for you if they take legal action. It will also be distressing for them, and if it is an employee, they may not be able to work for weeks or months following the accident. So take all sensible precautions to make sure your place of work is safe.