Slips, Trips, and Falls: What Every Building Manager Must Know

Workplace slips, trips, and falls account for a significant number of lost-time injury claims every year in Ontario. Proactive inspection is the single most effective tool for prevention.

Slips, trips, and falls are among the leading causes of injury in Ontario workplaces.

To reduce injuries, inspections should be completed regularly to identify and remediate hazards before they lead to incidents.

What to Look for During Inspections

Pay close attention to high-traffic areas such as entrances, corridors, stairwells, and loading zones. During your inspections, check for:

• Slippery or wet surfaces - spills, seasonal hazards such as snow and ice
• Unsecured mats - mats can roll up and create a tripping hazard
• Uneven surfaces and damaged flooring
• Debris
• Poor lighting
• Poor housekeeping and obstructions to walkways
• Protruding cords or cables across paths of travel

How to Prevent Injuries

Prevention is a combination of the right infrastructure, clear procedures, and consistent follow-through. Effective measures include:

• Install slip-resistant flooring and mats in high-risk areas
• Set up wet floor signage whenever applicable
• Ensure prompt maintenance, removal of debris, snow and ice, and spill clean up
• Routinely clean floors with appropriate non-slip solutions
• Keep walkways and egress paths clear of obstructions at all times
• Enforce good housekeeping practices across all departments
• Cover or tape down cords and cables crossing pedestrian paths
• Install handrails and guardrails on all stairwells and elevated platforms
• Provide awareness and prevention training for staff
• Ensure adequate training and certification for working at heights
• Mandate proper footwear, especially in industrial or wet environments
• Inspect, report, and remedy hazards routinely and quickly
• Track incidents to identify trends and recurring problem areas

When an Incident Happens: Reporting Matters

Being proactive is the best approach. But when an incident occurs, it's critical to have a reliable reporting system in place. Tap Report's incident reporting system ensures:

• The right information is gathered, specific to the type of incident
• Multiple photos and documents can be attached to each report
• All incidents are locked and cannot be modified after submission
• Automatic notifications go to the right people so they can be aware, contribute, or take action
• Privacy between departments; only authorized staff see specific reports
• Follow-up reminders ensure nothing slips through the cracks

Inspecting daily reduces hazards, prevents injuries, and demonstrates due diligence.

For a downloadable poster, visit the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

For more information, contact us at customerservice@tapreport.io.

Resources

• Preventing slips, trips, and falls in the workplace - Government of Ontario
• Preventing Falls Infographic - CCOHS

About Tap Report

Tap Report is a Canadian software company that provides a digital solution for managing workplace inspections, safety compliance, and operational reporting. It replaces manual processes, such as paper checklists and spreadsheets, with a mobile and web-based system that allows teams to complete inspections, capture data, and generate compliant reports.

Through an easy-to-use interface and automated workflows, Tap Report helps ensure that inspections are completed, deficiencies are categorized and tracked, and issues are escalated efficiently to the right people. It also offers analytics, customizable reporting, and integrations that helps organizations improve safety, compliance, and operational performance.

For more information, visit www.tapreport.io or contact us at customerservice@tapreport.io.