Slips, Trips, and Falls

Some of the most common causes of injuries occurring at apartments, condominiums, and rental dwellings are slips, trips, and falls. To reduce the potential for injuries, you may want to consider the following suggestions.

General Tips

• Maintain adequate lighting in parking areas, on sidewalks, and in stairways.
• Gutters should not drain water from the roof onto walkways or into parking areas.
• Reported spills should be cleaned up quickly.
• Repair or replace torn carpets, rugs, loose or missing floor tiles or any other flooring materials.
• Consider a removal plan for snow and ice on sidewalks, stairs, parking areas, and around dumpsters.

Parking Lots

• Repair potholes or uneven surfaces.

Stairways, Steps and Ramps

• Install handrails on stairways and ramps in accordance with local building code requirements.
• Handrails should be stable and securely fastened.
• Consider using non-slip surfaces, like carpet on stairs.

Walkways and Lawn Areas

• Repair uneven surfaces, large cracks, or bumps in the sidewalk.
• Remove obstructions from walkways, such as ladders and other maintenance equipment.
• If there is a lawn sprinkler system, remember to turn it off and drain the system when the temperature nears freezing.

There are many areas to consider when considering how to reduce risks. Develop an incident-reporting procedure ahead of time and train all employees and managers on how to use it. Other important elements include:

1. Have a manager on duty whenever possible.
2. Post emergency phone numbers.
3. Keep first aid kits handy and ready for use.
4. Investigate incidents.
5. Keep a record of incidents.

Incident reports should be written to aid with documentation and should include who was injured, dates, and circumstances. Management should review incident reports.