Life is so precious, but so delicate too, and the slightest little incident or accident can change everything in an instant. Even something as simple as slipping and falling over can be more than enough to deal serious physical and mental harm, along with countless additional consequences that can start to pile up over time.

Someone who slips over and suffers a fracture, for example, which happens in 5% of all fall incidents, might find that they’re unable to work for a while as their body recovers, which can lead to loss of income, mental health troubles, the slowing down of someone’s career, and even possibly the development of some sort of legal case if the fall was caused due to the negligence of another party.

Clearly, with so many potential ramifications, slips and falls are things that need to be taken seriously. They can happen absolutely anywhere, including your workplace, your home, and while out and about in your local area or even on vacation, and they can strike when you least suspect them, even when you feel like you’re being careful.

Knowing what to do when a fall happens is important, as medical care may be needed and these cases should be reported to the necessary parties and authorities, but it’s also important to know how to reduce your own risks of having a slip and fall in the first place. Here are some useful tips you can bear in mind to stay safe at work, at home, and elsewhere.

Be Vigilant

Of course, the first and most important tip for avoiding slips and falls, in general, is to simply be vigilant, aware, and alert of your surroundings, always checking out the floors and ground ahead of you as you move around in order to identify any hazards. This will allow you to see potential risks or threats ahead of time and take the appropriate action to avoid them.

It’s similar logic to driving: when we want to drive safely and sensibly in order to avoid accidents, we try to keep our hands on the wheel at all times, our eyes on the road, and our senses sharp, ready for anything. The same system applies when walking or moving around: stay alert, observe your surroundings, and tread carefully, wherever you go.

Wear Appropriate Footwear

One of the key factors that can influence how likely you are to suffer a slip and fall accident is quite simply the footwear you choose to wear. If it’s an icy day, for example, and you choose to wear shoes without much grip or traction on the soles, you’ll be much more likely to slip when you step outside and potentially suffer a damaging fall.

This is why it’s always key to assess the situation and choose footwear that gives you the best chances of staying safe. Of course, it’s not always possible to wear certain kinds of footwear in certain situations; you might not be able to wear big hiking boots in the office, for example, but you could wear them while walking to work to stay safe and then simply change into work shoes when you arrive.

Trust Your Instincts

Human instincts are a very powerful set of forces, able to guide us through life in ways we can’t quite comprehend. They act as our very own alert system, giving us a feeling when something doesn’t seem quite right, letting us know that danger may be lurking ahead, and they can be very effective when it comes to avoiding slips and falls too.

Your instincts may kick in, for example, when you see a particularly icy pathway or a slippery set of stairs that haven’t been cleaned correctly. They might give you a feeling that you’d be better off taking another way, and it’s often wise to trust them, as these instincts ultimately exist in order to keep people safe.

Clean Up

A common cause of slip and fall accidents is poorly-cleaned surfaces. Puddles, pools, spillages, and other situations in which liquids or other substances have spilled out onto the ground and not been correctly cleaned can be very risky for anyone to try and navigate. This is why cleaning is key to reduce the risks of slips and falls too.

This is important both in the workplace and at home. If you’re at work and see a slippery area, let someone know so that it can be cleaned up in order to protect yourself and others, and if you do slip and fall at work, you could be eligible to pursue a legal case against your employer. At home, when spills happen, try to clean them quickly and thoroughly and take care when walking around the area.

Take Your Time

Another common cause of these kinds of accidents is people rushing around too much. The modern world is a hectic place and people today typically have very busy schedules, with lots of responsibilities and so much to get done all the time, especially at work. This kind of lifestyle leads to a lot of people rushing through their days, trying to get as much done with little regard for their own well-being and safety.

If you’re running to work so that you can get a head-start on your day, for example, or speeding around the house in order to finish your chores a little earlier, you may be putting yourself at a higher risk of slipping, falling, and injuring yourself. Adopting a slower pace might be a challenge for some, but it’s an important way to protect yourself.

Final Word

Overall, slips and falls may seem relatively innocuous, especially to younger people, but anyone, of any age, can suffer serious injuries in these kinds of accidents, and they happen all the time. Don’t let yourself be another statistic for slips and falls. Take care and keep the above tips in mind as you go about your days in order to stay safe.