Slips, trips and falls are a leading cause of workers’ compensation and general liability claims.

For your employees, slips, trips and falls are the third most common type of occupational injury. On average, these injuries account for 12 days of work missed for employees and are very costly to companies. In fact, the average workers’ compensation claim for a slip, trip or fall costs $46,592, according to the National Safety Council.

Should a customer fall, they may file a claim against your business for bodily injury. These claims will likely be covered by your general liability insurance policy, but they may cause your premium to rise when your policy is up for renewal.

Types of slips, trips and falls

There are many ways these injuries can occur:

• Slips and trips without falling—A person catches themselves from falling due to slip or trip, but still gets injured.
• Falling on the same level—A person trips, slips or falls while sitting. Or, a person falls onto or against an object on the same level.
• Falling to a lower level—A person falls from a collapsing structure, falls through surfaces or falls from a ladder, roof, scaffolding or other structure.

Preventing slips, trips and falls

As a business owner, you can take proactive steps to prevent your employees or customers from experiencing a slip, trip or fall. Try these tips:

• Remove obstructions—Always clean up spills and wet spots. After the mess has been cleaned up, place a wet floor sign to make others aware. Arrange or remove furniture so there is plenty of room for walking. Always clear your business’s parking lots and sidewalks of snow, ice or debris.

• Improve visibility—Ensure you have good lighting in place. Consider adding task lighting in dim work areas. Illuminate all parking lots, paths and walkways, too. Replace burned out bulbs promptly.

• Safety-proof—Add grab bars next to toilets. Ensure furniture is in good shape. Install non-slip, rubber mats or rugs around sinks, beverage stations and other accident-prone areas.

• Reduce human factors—Require employees to wear slip-resistant footwear during their shifts. Spread out repetitive tasks, such as food preparation, to various workers throughout the day. Require employees to take frequent breaks from repetitive activities.

Your business is responsible for providing a safe environment for your customers and employees. Your business can also be held liable for any incidents that occur on premises, so it is important to secure the right insurance coverage.

Protecting your business

Along with slip, trip and fall risk management tips, Lockton Affinity offers franchisees customized insurance policies to protect against the costs associated with slip, trip and fall accidents. The most common policies needed to protect your business from these injuries are Workers’ Compensation Insurance and General Liability.

Protect your Smoothie King business today with coverage from Lockton Affinity.