Avoiding slips, trips and falls: Tips for wholesale and retail employees

A NIOSH publication (.pdf file) addresses preventing slips, trips

and falls in wholesale and retail trade establishments.

Slips, trip and falls – the third most common cause of lost-workday injuries in wholesale and retail trade – occur due to

factors such as slippery surfaces; loose mats or rugs; poor

lighting; employee fatigue; and inappropriate, loose or poor-fitting

footwear, according to NIOSH.

The tips offered include:

• Ensure aisles are free of clutter and other tripping

  hazards.

• Provide cleanup supplies at convenient locations in the

  facility.

• Place water-absorbent mats near entrances and areas where water,

  ice or snow may be tracked onto the floor.

• Train employees on identifying and preventing slip, trip and

  fall hazards.

Employees can help by taking the following precautions:

• Push (rather than pull) carts to allow a better line of

  sight.

• Walk with caution and make wide turns at corners.
• Clean surfaces as soon as they become wet.
• Place warning signs in wet floor areas and remove them when

  floor is clean and dry.