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Georgia OSHA

May 7th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

Housekeeping is frequently disregarded as a cause of slips, trips and falls, according to a recent Georgia OSHA Alert. Good sanitary conditions are one of the most important methods to prevent accidents in any place of work. That includes clean floors in aisles, storerooms, service rooms, and all the places were employees execute their tasks.

In the maintenance of the building, some minor but important things must be controlled. Loose boards, holes and protruding nails in the floors must be repaired, and all the splinters should be removed. Corridors must be free of obstruction, clean and dry. Permanent aisles must be marked.

Georgia OSHA requires that employers have a good safety program to prevent slips, trips and falls. The aisles must be sufficiently wide to allow handling equipment, should have enough space for two people to pass, and must permit the normal flow of people in case of emergency.

Many people who were injured slipped, tripped or fell when trying to leave the building in a rush, according to the report.

The numbers show that 15 percent of fatal workplace accidents are caused by slips, trips and falls. OSHA also mentions that the majority of general industrial accidents are slips, trips or falls. Such accidents are the second cause of fatalities, only exceeded by motor vehicle accidents. That shocking reality could be corrected with easy measures. The most recent OSHA standards apply to all permanent workplaces, with the exception of agricultural, domestic, and mining work.

Updating posters with warnings about slips, trips and falls, is a good advice for employers. Prominently displaying posters in every work area is a good way to remind employees to care for their workplace and to alert someone if they detect a potential danger related to bad housekeeping. OSHA standards require that every workroom, and every aisle and corridor, must be in a clean and dry condition. Drainage must be maintained in the case of wet processes, and carpets, gratings and platforms must be provided.