Some Pennsylvania businesses may be putting customers at high risk for slip and fall accidents. According to a report by the organization New Pig, an authority on spills, drips and leaks, companies tend to underestimate or be unaware of these hazards. The company produced its Walk Zone Safety Report after surveying professionals across many industries.
New Pig pointed out that data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows same-level slip and fall accidents are the most common workplace injuries. In 2015, there were almost 200,000 injuries of this nature. According to the 2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, in 2016, these falls cost nearly $11 billion in medical costs and workers’ compensation.
The New Pig report identified a number of problem areas. It found that almost half of respondents reported three or fewer same-level fall risks in their facilities. However, the survey showed that were actually far more common locations for falls. Furthermore, most companies were not doing anything about those risk areas. More than 90 percent of organizations put floor mats in entranceways and did nothing for other danger areas. When floor mats were placed, they could be a problem in themselves as 15 percent of organizations had falls caused by floor mats. Customer walkways were identified as frequently unprotected despite a number of falls occurring there.
If a person slips and falls at a place of business, there could be an issue with premises liability. Businesses and organizations are required to keep premises safe for customers and could be legally at fault if a customer has an accident. This means that the business might be responsible for covering expenses resulting from on-site falls. A person who is injured in a slip and fall accident at a business might want to talk to an attorney about how to proceed.
