Nothing can disrupt the reputation, financial health, and morale of a workplace like a completely avoidable accident can. Slip and fall accidents are one of the most common injuries of this type, and with the right preparations, you can help ensure that they never happen at your place of business. Not only do you owe your customers the guarantee that they can shop safely, but you need to make sure your business has the reputation that can keep you running for years to come. To assist you, here are eight proven ways to prevent slip and fall accidents: 

1. Avoid Slippery Surfaces 

No other condition in a place of business, or a busy public space, presents as consistent a slip and fall hazard as a slippery surface. Especially in areas where you have hard, plastic floors, or vinyl floors, slippery surfaces can lead to dangerous falls. You can rarely police what type of shoe people will be wearing, so knowing how to keep your floors from being slippery will prevent those with intense, unique shoes from accidentally slipping and falling. In the unfortunate case where you do find yourself involved in a damaging, preventable slip and fall accident, contact the professionals at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers to help you with your lawsuit.

2. Keep Up With Routine Maintenance 

There are many, many reasons to keep up with maintenance at your business and/or home. Without a well-kept and maintained space, the chance for a wide variety of accidents greatly increases. Slip and fall accidents are especially common in these types of spaces, as uneven surfaces, holes that have developed, and other such hazards can catch people completely unaware. 

3. Properly Light Spaces 

If you want to prevent avoidable slip and fall accidents, lighting is critical. Making sure everyone can see properly in your space, especially those who may be at least slightly visually impaired, is key. Avoid dim lighting whenever possible, and if space requires a specifically dim or unconventional lighting setup, be sure to post a notice warning people who are visually impaired about the lighting differences. 

4. Always Secure Electrical Cords and Wires 

One of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents are stray wires, electrical cords, and other low-hanging tripping hazards. Beyond just causing a fall, electrical wires can also cause burns or electrocution injuries, so they are particularly important to keep completely out of peoples’ walkways. Stray electrical cords can also prevent hazardous conditions if an environment suddenly becomes wet or moist. Tripping accidents can lead to nasty strains that lead to life-long or long-lasting injuries, so help your employees and customers avoid this unfortunate situation at all costs. 

5. Post Safety Advice in Problematic Areas

Sometimes there is a space within a business, home, or outdoor attraction that’s simply impossible to make fully safe. If you know a space presents potential hazards that could lead to slip and fall accidents, positing warnings is the best way to keep people safe and to help you avoid a costly lawsuit if an accident does end up occurring. 

6. Pay Attention to the Weather 

Even if you keep your space as tidy as possible, there are sometimes unavoidable happenings that will suddenly make a space more dangerous. Inclement weather is the most common instance of this occurring, as snow and rain can cause otherwise-safe sidewalks to suddenly become a major slip and fall hazard. Having specific precautions and safety protocols in place for when rain, snow, or intense winds strike around your place of business is highly recommended. 

7. Avoid Any Walkway Obstacles 

Cords and similar tripping hazards are not the only types of obstacles that can cause a walkway to be dangerous. Randomly placed objects that disrupt traffic, uneven ground, and other similar obstructions can be just as hazardous. When you’re setting up your public spaces, always consider what you want the ideal foot traffic and walkway paths to look like, then design the space to make that situation the norm for everyone that visits. If you feel the need to, positing recommended walkway advice can be a great way to boost your business’s safety as well. 

8. Keep Spaces Clean and Tidy 

Sometimes clutter, dirt and other hazards appear simply because cleaning is not happening often enough. By keeping your space clean and tidy, you will not only keep people safe, but you will make the space much more pleasant to visit as well. After all, no customer wants the place they’re shopping at to feel dirtier than their own home. 

Remedy All and Any Issues After a Slip and Fall Accident 

In the unfortunate case where a slip and fall accident does occur, you need to immediately assess what led to the situation, and make changes that will prevent future slip and fall accidents from occurring. If an accident proves to be especially damaging, it can destroy your business (and seriously harm the quality of life for the person who is involved in the accident. Stay professional, safe, aware, and caring and you will keep your business a completely slip and fall accident-free environment.