Safety basics for all kinds of business: slips, trips and falls

Do you know the most common safety problem across all kinds of business? It’s slips, trips, and falls.

That’s part of what I learned from Krista Roquemore, Safety Instructor at Pioneer Technology Center in Ponca City, Oklahoma.

All accidents are 100% preventable, Krista said. She challenged us to come up with any possible accident that could not have been prevented. We didn’t come up with any she couldn’t come up with a way to have prevented. If you think you have one, put it in the comments!

You probably don’t think about falls, Krista said, unless you’ve fallen or seen someone fall. But they are the most common accidents. Some 600,000 people are permanently disabled from workplace slips, trips and falls. And believe it or not, you could actually change your attitude before someone gets hurt.

Anybody who comes to your business, you are responsible for them, Krista said. It’s up to you to care.

Almost any product you use in your business will have safety information available from the manufacturer.

Ladder Safety
Any item your business owns or uses, the manufacturer probably offers some safety info. Krista showed this ladder safety sheet from a ladder manufacturer as an example.

The basic safety process (Eliminate. Prevent. Protect.) applies to ladder safety, too.

Eliminate the need to get elevated.
Prevent falls through care and caution.
Protect with protective gear.

So your business might use ladders when changing light bulbs. You could eliminate the need to be elevated by using long-reach light bulb sticks, Krista explained. You could prevent falls from ladders by using the right size ladder that is in good condition and being sure it’s placed in a flat and level place. You could protect from falls from high ladders with fall harnesses.

Most of us give little or no thought to safety in our business until something happens. Consider this your prompt to think about it today.

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About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.