At the Law Offices of Hussain & Gutierrez in California, we know that your workplace can be a dangerous place at times. Despite the fact that many workplaces, particularly construction sites, are full of heavy equipment and potentially dangerous machinery, the biggest danger you face in any workplace is injury from a slip, trip or fall.

Per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, workplace slips, trips and falls account for the following:

• 25 percent of all reported workplace accident claims
• 17 percent of all disabling occupational injuries
• 15 percent of all workplace accidental deaths

Over 12,000 workers die each year from injuries received as the result of a slip, trip or fall. These types of accidents are the second leading cause of worker deaths.

Types of injuries

You can receive a variety of injuries from a slip, trip or fall, but the most common types include the following:

• Fractures
• Abrasions and lacerations
• Bruises and contusions
• Sprains and strains

These injuries occur most frequently to your head, hip, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle or foot.

Accident preventability

Most workplace slip, trip and fall accidents are preventable, both by the employer and the employees. On the employer side, all work areas and work processes should be designed for maximum safety. This includes both structural design and mandating safety procedures and equipment. It also includes providing good housekeeping services so that all work areas and passageways are clean, tidy and clutter-free. Maybe most importantly, all stairs should have handrails and all work areas should be well lighted at all times.

On the employee side, you should always wear proper footwear that gives you good traction on floors and whatever other surfaces you must walk on as part of your job. In addition, you should remain vigilant with regard to open cabinet doors or drawers and hazards such as cords lying on floors and snaking across doorway floors. If working outdoors, you should be particularly aware of oil or water puddles or ice on walking surfaces.

For further information on this subject, please visit this page on our website.