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Delaware OSHA

May 7th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

The standards of the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, known as OSHA, require that every room in a workplace must be clean and dry. One of the best measures an employer can take to prevent accidents is to prominently display large posters with slips, trips, and falls warnings. These could be a good reminder to employers to be more cautions. It is better to immediately clean up an accidental spill or alert the cleaning staff of any problem, rather than risk injury.

OSHA has jurisdiction over most private employers in the U.S. The standards regarding slips, trips and falls apply to permanent places of employment, but exclude mining operations, agriculture and areas where only domestic work takes place. OSHA has separate but similar requirements for temporary places of employment.

OSHA recently reported that slips, trips and falls comprise a large number of general industry accidents. It is a striking fact because it represents the 15 percent of all accidental deaths, and is the second cause of fatalities. Motor vehicle accidents are the greatest cause of workplace fatalities.

The Delaware OSHA recommends updating the Slips Trips Falls posters with the OSHA standards printed, and developing a strong and complete program to prevent accidents. Enough space to work and to move inside a business is crucial to be successful in this matter. Narrow passageways are the cause of many accidents. For example, many people are injured trying to leave a building in case of a fire or other emergency. Another example is that accidents can occur handling equipment in aisles that are too narrow. That could cause injury to employees but also damage the equipment.

Poor housekeeping is one important reason for slips, trips and falls. Frequently, employers don’t pay attention to this problem. Good sanitary conditions are important everywhere, including places of work, passageways, warehouses and service rooms. Holes, protruding nails and splinters must be repaired in every floor in throughout the workplace, and aisles and corridors should be free of obstacles.