Slip and fall accidents should be top-of-mind for all commercial building operators, for both your staff and the general public! Here’s 9 quick facts you probably didn’t know about slip and fall accidents:
- Slip and fall accidents are the #1 cause of workplace injuries when averaged among all industries.
- Slips, trips, and other fall accidents account for 20% of all worker’s compensation costs.
- In 2007-08, slip and fall accidents accounted for a third of all worker injuries.
- Industries with higher than usual susceptibility to slip and fall accidents include construction, public administration, the postal service, food service, and hospitality / healthcare.
- Falls are one of the top three leading causes of accidental death in North America.
- 75% of slip and fall accidents occur on public-facing surfaces, like installed flooring, staircases, and exterior sidewalks.
- According to the National Safety Council, nearly 15% of all accidental deaths are due to injuries sustained because of a fall. This figure disproportionately affects the elderly.
- According to the National Floor Safety Institute, every day more than 25,000 North Americans go to hospitals due to injuries sustained in slip and fall accidents.
- Statistics show that 60% of falls happen from a standing height; only 40% of falls happen from an elevated height.
