Eliminating hazards in the work place – South Africa vs. Global
It has come to my attention that in South Africa there is a tendency NOT to report slips and near misses in the work environment. As the statistics emphasise below, this is a very strange phenomenon as many accidents resulting from slips and falls occur in the workplace. In the United States, United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, slips and trips are treated as a high risk. This high risk ranking is a priority for attention in factories and workplaces. The environment is “controlled” by placing anti-slip treads and mats in the areas of risk in order to remove any potential hazard, thus “fixing” what they can fix and ensuring control measures are put in place. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS): There are 2 types of falls –...
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Keeping your “house” in good order: Preventing costly “slip and falls”
Slip and fall accidents are almost all directly connected to the floor – either you slip on it or you fall on it. While there is no precise way to determine when someone else is legally responsible for something on which you slip and trip, cases turn on whether the property owner acted carefully so that the slipping or tripping was not likely to happen – and whether the victim was careless in not seeing or avoiding the accident. Good housekeeping is the first and the most important level for preventing falls due to slips and trips. Below are a few points to consider to keep your “house” in order. • Surface composition Types of slip resistant floors and stairs to consider include brushed concrete, sheet vinyl with abrasive material, and seamless epoxy or urethane with surface aggregate. Porous...
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