Slip and fall injuries and accidents in the workplace account for up to 20% of workers compensation payouts in the country. The US Department of Labor estimates that close to 50% of workplace fatalities are the result of slip and fall accidents.

Causes of Slip and Fall Injury

Slip and fall injuries can occur because of defective floors or slippery work conditions. There may be a lack of adequate signage that bars workers from entering work areas where floors are prone to slipping and falls. When safety guardrails and personnel restraints are not available or properly employed, falls can occur from elevated positions, like falls from forklifts, trucks, ladders, stairways, platforms, and scaffolding.

Prevention of Slip and Fall Injury

• Falls are a major cause of injuries on a construction site, with falls from scaffolding, cranes, forklifts and trucks accounting for a majority of the accidents.  The frequency of slip and fall accidents can be greatly reduced if proper fall protection systems are in place. Employers must recognize fall hazards in the form of holes on the working surface, or unsafe conditions that may result in a fall like windy weather, and provide for adequate safety systems, body belts, harnesses and guardrails for worker protection.
• Any fall protection system that has been assembled must be inspected before use.
• Fall protection systems should involve effective warning mechanisms to warn employees of hazardous areas. Communication is key in the proper functioning of these warning systems.
• Any holes on the construction site that are greater than 12 inches x 12 inches must be guarded, and guards must remain in place unless a supervisor approves their removal.
• Employers must make a solid commitment to the prevention of slip and fall accidents and injuries in the work place. Regular inspections must be conducted to locate slip and fall risks.
• Sufficient lighting that illuminates all areas of the work place must be provided, with special emphasis on ladders and stairways. 
• Any situation that poses the risk of a slip and fall injury must be corrected immediately.
• All workers must be provided with well designed footwear with sufficient traction and slip resistance, wherever slip and fall risks exist.
• Footwear must also be provided depending on the weather conditions. For instance, snow and ice in an outside work environment may prove a great risk for slip and fall accidents.  In such cases, proper winter footwear must be provided to eliminate these risks, and workers must be trained about the proper use of such footwear to minimize the possibility of snow and ice getting carried over inside the facility, posing a risk to workers inside.
• Truck and forklift operators must be prohibited from carrying riders on these vehicles, unless there is a separate work station provided for them.
• Any slip and fall accident in the workplace must be investigated thoroughly, and recorded. Immediate steps must taken to eliminate hazards and prevent future slip and fall injuries.