When it comes to workplace safety, nothing should be taken for granted. Companies should assume that hazards are lurking around every corner. Even something as simple as walking can present a safety risk in some workplaces.
That means companies even have to pay close attention to walkway safety in the workplace. The good news is that a lot can be done to help employees avoid slips and falls. Let’s take a look at some of the best practices of walkway safety in the workplace.
Use Mats in Wet Floors
It should be obvious that wet floors pose one of the biggest risks to walkway safety in the workplace. Entrances are particularly slippery because employees will bring any outside precipitation with them and onto the floor. But there are other areas of the workplace that might be notoriously slippery as well. In these areas, absorbent floor mats can be a simple solution that can reduce the slickness of a surface and reduce the risk of people slipping and falling.
Make Walkways Well Lit
It might sound overly simple but good visibility can make all the difference in the world when it comes to trips and falls. Obviously, there shouldn’t be any part of the workplace that’s pitch black, at least outside of a photography darkroom. Employees should pay careful attention to busy walkways and areas where employees frequently do a lot of heavy lifting. These areas need to be well-lit at all times of the day and night so that workers can spot any potential walkway hazards.
Regular Cleaning
Cleaning can be one of the best methods of ensuring proper walkway safety in the workplace. For starters, dirt can erode at any non-slip coating on the floor. It can also change the traction and surprise someone while walking. With the right cleaning routine, you can eliminate dirt and other debris in popular workplace walkways and reduce the risk that dirt and other substances will lead to a slip and fall.
Keep Obstacles Out of the Way
While you’re cleaning your walkways, make sure that they are also free of clutter and other obstacles. This is particularly true in stairwells, entrances, and areas where a lot of people are moving around. If there’s a box, a scrap of metal, or a piece of equipment on the floor where it doesn’t belong, it’ll be easy for an unsuspecting employee to trip over it. Workers must understand the importance of putting things away when they’re not in use to avoid creating a cluttered workplace. The same can be said of spills that aren’t cleaned up right away. These kinds of walkway obstacles are just asking for trouble.
Encourage Proper Footwear
Technically, footwear may not be considered personal protective equipment (PPE) in most workplaces, but it can still play a role in walkway safety in the workplace. Encourage employees to wear sensible footwear if their job requires a lot of moving around. Shoes with slick soles can often play a factor in workplace falls. The same can be said of shoelaces that are untied. These sound like simple and obvious things, but they tend to play a key role when it comes to walkway safety in the workplace.
How to Get Ahead of All Safety Issues
To make sure small details like walkway safety don’t get overlooked, it’s important for companies to utilize safety management software that can help them remain organized when it comes to occupational safety. The safety solutions offered by EHS Insight can be the perfect option for many companies. Our software is designed to manage and monitor everything from hazards to training to compliance. It’s the best way of ensuring that no safety issue slips through the cracks.
If safety is a priority at your company, let’s have a conversation about how our software can improve the way you organize and manage workplace safety.
