Slip and Fall Accidents in Office Spaces

Employers have the legal responsibility of ensuring the safety of their employees. This can be achieved by doing several methods, such as giving the employees the adequate safety equipment, enforcing safety regulations to avoid accidents, and maintaining the work area to avoid defects, malfunctions, and fires.

Getting injured because of the negligence of employers and property owners is one of the worst things that could happen to you. Injury not just causes pain and suffering, but also financial damages like medical costs and lost time at work.

One of the most common accidents that cause injuries in the workplace is called slip and fall. This occurs when a third-party object makes an employee slip and fall, resulting into injury or even death. Typically, slip and fall claims can be viable only if they can prove the following:

• The condition that has caused the slip and fall accident has existed because of the negligence of the sued party
• The condition has resulted into bodily harm and damages associated with it, such as medical costs and loss of earning capability, either temporary or permanent
• The condition has existed long enough for a reasonable party to see it and act accordingly

It is important to note that these accidents can happen not just in dangerous work environments like construction sites, factories, and mines, but also in relatively safer environments like offices. In fact, there is a possibility that those who are in offices are at greater risk of slip and fall accidents because of their complacency and over dependence to the inherent safety of a building or office. The most common factors that cause slip and fall accidents in these spaces include:

• Slippery substances on floors, like spilled drinks, leaks from air conditioners and pipes, and floor wax
• Objects that can trip, such as opened cabinets, loose cables, and worn carpets
• Malfunctioning elevators and escalators
• Defects in staircases

Those who are lucky will not sustain injuries in slip and fall accidents, but those who are not as lucky can suffer from a variety of conditions, such as the following:

• Head trauma for hitting the head on a hard surface
• Back and neck injuries for landing harshly
• Arm fractures for extending the arms upon landing