Avoid These Common Slip and Fall Injury Accidents

There are thousands of jobs that require people to walk across floors, down stairs, and to lift items. While most workers accomplish these tasks every day without incident, sometimes accidents happen. That is why it is important to know the most common slip and fall injury accidents that occur at work.

Even the most cautious employee can have an accident. While companies do their best to stress safety, it does not always happen that way. One of the most common injuries is a slip and fall. The majority of these occur when the floor is wet or slick. For example, an employee who wears heels may be walking through a hallway that has just been mopped. Even with the caution signs up, the person could easily slip due to the heels on the shoes. When this happens, the leg usually kicks out and the worker often falls on their backside.

Another common injury is when a worker is walking stairs. In a business environment, the treads of the stairs should have a gripping substance to keep feet from skidding. However, even with stair safety in place, accidents happen. In this case the person is usually going down the stairs. As the worker descends their foot either slips out from under them or they miss a step entirely. This often results in the worker falling down the stairs upright with their backside striking the walkway. The other possible problem is if they lose their balance and fall head first down the stairs. Both accidents can cause a great amount of pain.

Ladders are another source of potential problems. Employees who work around ladders frequently often forget that accidents can occur. In these cases, the employee is usually on the ladder several rungs off the ground. They may be leaning over slightly or may be reaching over their heads in order to pull something down. Balance then becomes the issue. As the employee tries to balance the item and go down the ladder, they lose their balance, slipping down the rungs and falling to the ground. Again, the injury usually affects the backside and causes pain.

When accidents like those above happen at work, there are important steps that need to be followed. First, it is the employee's responsibility to report the incident. If no official report is ever filed, then the work place cannot be held responsible for payment of any services rendered.

Next, the employee must follow the established protocol for medical treatment. Depending on the location of the business, such as what country, there may be different guidelines. However, every business will have a procedure in place for handling accidents at the work place. Make sure that any required paperwork is filled out and ready when going to the doctor.

Once medical treatment has been initiated, it is imperative to follow all of the business guidelines. If documentation is required, provide it. If follow-up appointments need to be made, attend them. This insures that any coverage that the business provides is kept up-to-date and stays in compliance.

Although most employees do their best to stay safe and avoid accidents, slip and fall injury accidents are some of the most common. Vigilance should be kept at all times in a working environment.