by A slip or fall can have devastating effects on the body. This devastation can be compounded when the harm could have easily been avoided, but what should you do to avoid becoming the victim of a trip and fall accident?
Looking For Potential Hazards
When browsing through the aisles of your favorite grocery store, it’s easy to miss a hazard that could be lurking on the floor and cause an injury. This could be a liquid spill or a misplaced product that could become a tripping hazard. Retail stores must provide a clean and safe environment for their customers as well as their workers. When these places fail in that obligation, Ward & Barnes, Pensacola Personal Injury Attorneys can help make things right.
Most people are aware of the dangers to customers when retail establishments fall short in their responsibility to furnish a clean, safe space to conduct business. For customers, it can mean slips, falls, broken bones, and sprains. But, what about the danger that these employers routinely place on their employees?
Making Safety a Priority
Having heavy merchandise not adequately secured when stacked inside of a massive storeroom can put workers at risk of a potentially deadly accident. Workplace accidents involving forklifts can be some of the most dangerous. This risk can be lessened dramatically by ensuring that only trained and qualified employees can operate this type of heavy machinery.
Having a storeroom or a sales floor littered with boxes and debris is also a potential hazard. In these instances, having both the stockroom and sales floor in good order and organized will reduce the chances of accidents happening. Using floor tape to alert workers to potentially hazardous areas can also help with correcting this issue.
Not All Accidents Occur in the Warehouse
Not all hazardous workplace conditions occur in a retail or warehouse setting. Working in an office can also be risky. Here are some often-overlooked potential pitfalls that can lead to slips, falls, or worse.
In times of snow or rainy weather, slips and falls in the parking lot can be common. Wearing sensible shoes when crossing the parking lot can make accidents less likely. It also pays to take short, careful steps when walking across a slippery surface, along with watching and being careful where you step.
Staying Safe at Your Desk
When working at a desk, it’s essential to maintain proper posture with the head centered over the neck and shoulders and the feet in full contact with the floor. [To maintain a proper posture, you should have enough nutrients to support your body. You may need vitamin D and calcium to help strengthen your bones and helps with muscle contractions and relaxation. It is also essential to take breaks from your desk from time to time to reduce neck and back muscle stiffness and improve body circulation.] Keeping the desk orderly and uncluttered will allow you to find needed items efficiently without having to sift through mountains of paper and other debris. Electrical cords coming from computers or phones should be adequately secured to avoid becoming a fire or tripping hazard.
When working at a desk, it’s essential to maintain proper posture with the head centered over the neck and shoulders and the feet in full contact with the floor. Keeping the desk orderly and uncluttered will allow you to find needed items efficiently without having to sift through mountains of paper and other debris. Electrical cords coming from computers or phones should be adequately secured to avoid becoming a fire or tripping hazard.
Care should also be taken when lifting items to protect the back, shoulders, and neck. When lifting objects from the floor, always do it from a squatting position where the power for the lift comes from the legs and not the back. When attempting to lift heavy items, the back should remain straight at all times. Most importantly, if the item is too heavy, ask for help. Keeping both customers and workers safe provides a better environment for everyone involved.
