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Preventing Slip and Fall Incidents at Your Home or Business

We may not get much ice in Central Florida, but many other potential hazards can cause someone to slip and fall at your house or your office. Central Florida also has a large elderly population who are all potential fall victims. Steps must be taken to keep them from falling. Prevention is the key to eliminating slip and fall hazards and preventing serious injury from occurring due to negligence. Here are a few ways that you can make both your home or business safe from slip hazards:

Tips for Preventing Slip and Fall Accidents

• If a slippery substance such as oil, grease, or a household cleaner spills at your home or business, it should be cleaned immediately. As you undertake cleanup, ensure adequate signage is used to alert customers, employees, or family that a slip hazard is in the area. 
• Regular inspections and cleaning of high-traffic areas or work areas where oil and grease are used should be made.
• Ensure sufficient lighting is around your home, in parking lots, on sidewalks, walkways, and in stairwells to ensure they are visible. LED lights are best for commercial settings because they light a wider area and deter crime.
• Bunched carpets, loose tiles, and uneven flooring can all cause someone to trip and should be repaired.
• Potholes that are not filled present a hazard where someone could twist or break an ankle or fall and break a bone.
• Water that runs into a parking area can quickly become slippery, and the source of the runoff should be dealt with to prevent any slipping.

Stairs and Ramps

• Handrails are an effective way to prevent the disabled and elderly from falling.  Installed securely in stairways, ramps, halls, and bathrooms, they can help people to have a sense of independence while at the same time eliminating the potential for a fall.
• Broken or loose steps in a stairwell are a recipe for a lawsuit if someone falls due to disrepair.
• Make sure stairwells are lit well and have something that will increase friction, such as carpet or non-slip treads.

Lawn Areas

• Ensure lawn areas are kept mowed to 7 inches or less so that hidden items such as a sprinkler or tree roots are visible.
• Don’t leave old toys, tools, or portable sprinkles on the lawn, so they do not become trip hazards.
• Make sure to keep lawn areas and the exterior of homes free of stinging insects like wasps so that customers or family members are not stung.

Walkways

• Clear your walkways of ladders, tools, or anything else that could be a potential trip hazard.
• Make sure walkways are even and have no large cracks. Repairs should be made if either one of these conditions exists.

What to do if a Slip and Fall Happens on Your Property

• Seek medical attention for the injured party if needed.
• Gather critical information such as the injured party’s name and the time of the day the slip or fall incident occurred. The location of the incident. What happened at the time of the accident (was it the injured party’s fault?) Take pictures of the scene and, if possible, of the injuries sustained by the person who fell.
• If you or someone who experienced the accident must file a claim, contact your insurance company promptly. Follow the insurance company’s instructions to document the claim correctly.
• If a severe injury occurs due to a slip or trip, contacting an attorney may be in your best interest.

All that is needed to stop slip and fall accidents is to care enough to prevent them. If you have any questions about Liability Insurance, contact us via email or at (863) 646-LOCK.

Workers Comp Insurance Do I Need It For My Business?

Whatever industry you are in, injuries at work can happen. If one of your employees is hurt on the job, you can be held responsible for the medical bills. Workers comp insurance provides a safety net for both you and your employees, ensuring that if an injury should occur, neither of you will have to bear the financial burden.

How it works

Workers’ comp insurance is designed to provide financial assistance to employees who are injured in the course of their work. Every business should have it, even though you may believe your employees are not at a high risk of injury. The injury doesn’t have to be the kind of workplace mishap we commonly think of, such as being injured by manufacturing machinery or in dangerous jobs. If a wet spot on your office break room floor and one of your employees slips on it, that too can be a workers’ comp claim. Any injury at your business during business hours, no matter what or how it happened, is a matter for workers’ comp.

Carrying workers’ comp insurance protects you from having to personally pay out for medical bills and lost wages when an employee is injured on your premises. Whether or not you feel the injury is your fault or that your company is responsible, the fact is that if it happened to an employee who is there to work for you, you could be the responsible party. Failure to carry workers’ comp means you could face a lawsuit and pay out of pocket on the claim.

Protect Yourself, Protect Your Employees

Carrying workers’ comp not only protects you, but it also protects your employees. They will not have to deal with the financial burden of missing work and paying medical bills due to an injury. And they will feel confident working for you, knowing that if something happens, they will be taken care of.

In many cases, carrying workers’ comp is not merely a good idea. It is the law. Ensure you have a policy in compliance with all the regulations for your state and industry. You could face a serious lawsuit if you do not. Innovative businesses know that taking care of their employees makes good sense. Protect yourself and protect the people who work for you with workers’ comp!