Dealerships are subject to a variety of safety risks; the largest being slips, trips, and falls. Statistics show that these accidents account for 15% of all accidental deaths and account for the majority of Worker’s Compensation related losses at most dealerships. Luckily, you can take preventative measures to lower your slip, trip, and fall risk significantly.

What are slips, trips, and falls exactly?

• A slip is when a lack of traction and friction occur between the shoe and the surface. A slip most often results in a person falling backward.

• A trip is when a an object is in the way of a foot path, which a person inadvertently strikes, or the foot path drops to a lower level, causing a person to be thrown off balance. A trip most often results in a person falling forward.

• A fall is the end result being thrown too far off balance by either a slip or a trip.

To avoid these circumstances, implement the following at your dealership.

For spills:

• Clean up spills immediately.
• Teach employees to walk safely on wet and icy surfaces: shorten your stride, take small steps, and make wider turns.
• Ensure your workers have shoes with adequate tread.
• Place anchored mats in areas that may become wet.
• Display wet signs where appropriate.
• Salt areas that may freeze and become slippery.
• Implement proper draining in wet process areas.
• Install rails in areas that will be used for wet processes or areas that may become wet due to weather.

For trips:

• Use and only proven walkways.
• Keep all debris out of walkways and away from stairs.
• Secure and anchor any mats or rugs.
• Maintain walkways and report any uneven or broken pavement, sidewalks, or handrails.
• Ensure adequate lighting is available for walkways.
• Always provide a handrail.

For falls:

• Only stand on ladders, never chairs, boxes, etc.
• When using ladders select the proper type and size.

Sources: http://www.cmu.edu/ehs/occupational-office/workplace-safety/slip-trip-fall.html