Being able to safely walk around is important for workplace safety. However, tripping hazards can pose a serious risk to workers. These hazards can cause you to not only fall, but also drop anything you’re carrying around. As a result, it’s important to know what commonly causes people to trip at work…

Tripping Hazards in the Workplace

Cables and cords

Loose cables and cords are some of the most common tripping hazards. That’s because they can be found in practically any workplace. It’s very easy to lose your balance if you tangle your foot in a cable. Plus, you could even pull down whatever the cord is connected too, causing even more damage!

Therefore, it’s important to make sure cables and cords are as out of the way as possible. Avoid having them out in walkways where people could trip over them. Instead, try to run them along the walls or something similar. Be sure to put away any tools which use long cords as well.

General clutter

Clutter in general is also another potential tripping hazard. Clutter can come in a lot of different forms. For example, it could be some equipment someone forgot to put away. Or, it could be loose trash like boxes which have been left out instead of thrown away.

Any kind of clutter can be a problem and cause someone to trip. However, clutter also tends to build up and increase the risk more and more over time. This can get so bad, that it feels like there’s more clutter than walking space! Therefore, it’s important to keep clutter out of the way and cleaned up.

Uneven surfaces

Uneven surfaces can also possibly be tripping hazards. Usually, “uneven” means anything which isn’t flat and level. This could mean concrete floors which aren’t level all the way across, or loose carpeting which sticks up and is easy to snag. Even stairs are an uneven surface, and can definitely cause someone to trip.

The issue with uneven surfaces is that they can sometimes be hard to fix. After all, you can’t really level a concrete floor by yourself! Instead, it’s best to let your boss or supervisor know about them. In the meantime, try to look for different routes over more-even surfaces.