Winter weather is here again, which means snow, ice and dangerous road conditions. You not only face accidents driving this winter, but you can encounter slip-and-fall hazards wherever the pavement is wet or icy. There is much you and other Ohio residents can do to reduce your chances of an injurious fall this season. However, at the law office of Mezibov Butler, we understand that a great deal of the responsibility falls to property owners to reduce slip-and-fall hazards on their premises.
EHS Today warns that a significant number of accidents on the job involve slips-and-falls. This can be any type of industry you are in – whether you slipped on a patch of oil in an auto shop, fell after walking through a wet entryway bringing in grocery carts or hurt yourself slipping on ice outside your office building. A slip-and-fall incident is not limited to the workplace, however. You may be just as likely to fall on an icy walkway outside your apartment complex or slip on a puddle in the entryway doing your grocery shopping.
What measures should property owners take to protect you and others this winter? Your employer should educate you and your co-workers about how to handle spills, including mopping and drying the floor and putting up wet floor signs. Your employer should also ensure equipment to take care of slippery surfaces is available and in use whenever necessary. The owners of your apartment complex, shopping center and office building are also responsible for addressing dangerous conditions on their properties. This includes de-icing walkways and providing non-slip mats in entryways.
When everyone cooperates to keep premises safe for employees and visitors, accidents may be avoided. Our page on premises liability explains more about slip-and-fall incidents and other common property accidents.
