Slip and fall accidents are a serious public health problem, especially in the healthcare industry. According to statistics, a large portion of slip and fall victims are hospital patients and residents of long-term care facilities.
Slip and fall accidents cost upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars. They can cause serious injuries, and even death.
We’ve compiled a list of OSHA-approved tips that can help you prevent slip and fall accidents in your healthcare facility today:
- Keep floors dry and clean. Wet flooring ranks among the most common causes of same-level slip and fall accidents. Prevent this issue by making sure that your floors are always clean and dry.
- Ensure proper lighting. Poorly lit rooms and floors are slip and fall accidents waiting to happen. Make sure every part of your facility has adequate lighting – especially stairs.
- Provide appropriate hazard warnings. Hazard warnings are crucial tools in the prevention of slip and fall accidents. While it is highly important to clean up spills and messes promptly, it is just as important to have signage in dangerous areas before anyone wanders into them unaware of the hazards.
- Make sure floors are free of debris and obstructions. Keep floors clear for walking. If wires need to cross floors, secure them onto the floor with tape so they don’t cause tripping. It’s also beneficial to create a layout of equipment, stations, beds, etc. that promotes easy flow and leaves enough space for walking.
- Make sure floors, stairs, handrails, and other elements in your facility are up to code. Uneven floors, missing handrails, and gaps in stair steps are common building code violations that pose the highest risks for slip and fall accidents. Keep your floors up to code at all times to maintain safety.
- Fix carpets and mats in place. Uneven, folded, or curled-edge mats and carpets pose slip and fall accident dangers. Make sure to stretch out your carpets and maintain them properly to prevent curling.
As for your floor mats, invest in high-traction mats that can be maintained professionally and replaced regularly by a provider you can trust. Poorly maintained and old mats tend to be more dangerous than they are helpful, thus defeating their purpose.
Up the Safety of Your Floors with Unitex
Make your healthcare facility a much safer place with the right floor care and protection tools from Unitex. Our high-quality floor mats and microfiber cleaning products will give you peace of mind knowing that your patients and staff are safe while walking in your building.
You can contact us today via phone by dialing 914-840-3200, or you can request a free quote here.