It might seem silly, but often the most serious on the job injuries come from slips, trips, and falls. These extremely avoidable injuries are often a red flag for OSHA, who will target your company for a surprise audit. And while many of these injuries are simply employees tripping even though all proper safety precautions have been taken, many other times the issues are actually due to an unsafe workplace. Because of these types of accidents, OSHA created Standards 1910.21-1910.30. These standards lay out the groundwork for what is required of employers on the jobsite to create a safe walking space for both customers and employees.

The standard covers how to properly handle holes and openings in floors, platforms, holes and openings in walls, risers, stairs, ladders, and scaffolds. It specifically designates when handrails, toeboards, baskets, braces, guardrails, grab bars, and other safety devices must be available to customers and employees. It also discusses how these work areas must be signed and protected to make employees and customers aware of potential hazards, and what steps must be taken to help people avoid these areas.

This all seems very obvious, I’m sure, but the technical details of what is required for each potential hazard can be cumbersome to reference, and one incorrect sign or missing grab bar, and it can mean a serious injury or serious fines from OSHA. And even if you think your facility is following the standards set forth by OSHA, it is always important to remember to have your annual safety audit performed, to ensure nothing has changed in the verbiage of the standards.

If you have any questions about the walking-working surfaces at your place of business, please contact us and we can help you to ensure you are up to code. And if you have any personal experiences to relate about this issue, please post a comment.