Shuttlesworth Law Firm, LLC - September 2019

WHEN BUSINESS GETS RISKY 3 WAYS TO REDUCE SLIPS, TRIPS, AND FALLS IN THE WORKPLACE

KEEP WALKWAYS CLEAR Another practice to nail down is eliminating tripping hazards. Whether it be inventory, work equipment, or loose cords and cables, everything should have a place it can be properly stowed when it’s not in use. No employee should have to take the risk of walking down a cluttered aisle — much less while potentially carrying heavy items. MAINTAIN PROPER LIGHTING Decreasing the likelihood of a slip, trip, or fall is about more than just moving obstacles and cleaning up messes. For instance, no amount of tidiness will prevent potential injuries where workers can’t see well. Proper lighting is essential to eliminating workplace injuries. Adding another lamp or spotlight or even just replacing a burnt-out bulb can go a long way in eliminating high-risk areas for employees.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 25% of all reported injury claims are slips, trips, or falls. All it takes is one oversight, mistake, or misstep, and you could be out of work, fighting to get the compensation you deserve. Shuttlesworth Law Firm can help you navigate that fight when the time comes, but, if you work in an environment where a lot of slips, trips, and falls have occurred, there may be a few ways you can protect yourself and your coworkers. CLEAN SPILLS RIGHT AWAY This is just good housekeeping. Getting into the habit of cleaning up messes right after they happen drastically reduces the chance of someone accidentally walking through it later. If this practice is not already in place, promptly cleaning up safety hazards might be easier said than done. Managers might need to implement a program and assign responsibilities to make sure new safety procedures stick.

Even if the battle for fair compensation is a winnable one, most people would rather not have it in the first place. Don’t let slip, trip, and fall hazards plague your workplace.

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only partially correct. In reality, “riding shotgun” wasn’t a popular phrase until it was used by TV cowboys in the 1950s . Considering how television disseminated information quicker than ever before, the origins of the phrase make sense for how ubiquitous “riding shotgun” is today. It might not be as cool as if it were actually from the Old West, but the phrase is still a testament to how much America loves the genre.

If you’ve ever ridden in the front passenger seat of a friend’s car, you might have exclaimed, “Shotgun!” in order to claim the seat with the most legroom and radio privileges. But have you ever wondered why we call the sitting in the front passenger seat “riding shotgun”? Some might claim the phrase has descended from the days of the Old West, where stagecoach drivers had someone who sat next to them with a shotgun to protect their cargo from robbers. This is

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