Since I wrote my first article for BIC Magazine (March, pg. 68) just two months ago, a lot has changed in our working environment.
No, you still won't see deadly slip and fall accidents in the workplace make national news - or even your local newspapers, for that matter - but if it were a shooting, you would see it. I couldn't imagine a virus would take the spotlight, but here we are. My article may now seem trivial by comparison, but long after we fight and conquer this virus, slips and falls will still continue to be one of the largest contributors to workers' compensation claims, severe injuries and deaths in the workplace - and no, you won't see them headlined on CNN or Fox News.
Facts and figures
Let me give you some dynamic facts and figures that will blow your mind. Please note these are not mine but come from OSHA, the National Safety Council and other well-respected safety organizations around the world. The average cost of a slip and fall is $30,000-$40,000. If you don't believe me, just ask a slip and fall attorney. Falls are the most common cause of both brain injuries and hip fractures. Medical bills for slip and fall injuries top $34 billion each year. They represent the primary cause of lost work days, with 85 percent of workers' compensation claims attributed to employees slipping on slick, contaminated floors. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. estimates more than $61 billion per year is spent on disability claims in America, with $15.57 billion, or 25.1 percent, from slips and falls. Need I go on?
There are countless statistics on slip and fall costs to the U.S. industry and workers -- more than I know what to do with. Needless to say, it's a major problem in the workplace as well as a major cost to the bottom line, taking away dollars that could be spent on growth and employees' salaries to benefit their families, dreams and aspirations. Food and housing is getting more expensive by the minute for employees, yet we waste a fortune on slip and fall injuries in the workplace. The only actions we can take are ones that are proactive, not reactive. That's the responsibility we all have to share to make the workplace a safe environment and to strive for everyone making it home safely every single day.
Becoming part of the solution
My upcoming articles will deal with solutions rather than scary facts, adding value for readers by being part of the solution. In my entire career (40 years, so far), I have personally sold or had a hand in selling more antislip coatings to industry and the Department of Defense than anyone else in the world. Unique, durable antislip coatings are one of the many changes that can more permanently ensure the proper "coefficient of friction" on walking surfaces. There are antislip shoes and antislip prefab plates made of steel or fiberglass, which are put down where surfaces are so contaminated that applying anything but an antislip plate is impossible. There are also metal (diamond plate) and fiberglass antislip gratings and antislip tapes, to name a few mitigation tools of the trade that make workers safer. There are even antislip mats for doorways. However, I question their safety sometimes. When was the last time you almost tripped on a mat that wasn't flush with the floor?
I will continue my fight indefinitely, since the problem of slips and falls in the workplace will not be put to bed in my lifetime. But if we can reduce these injuries' cost to industry while saving lives and further limiting debilitating, traumatic accidents for us and our employees, it's a worthy cause.
For more information, visit www.newguardcoatings.com or call (832) 243-6680.
