Avoid Slipping and Falling on Ice

Posted on December 1, 2020 in Gardening

You may think there’s nothing to worry about, and you might even giggle when your mate goes down, but the truth is that there is nothing funny about slipping and falling on ice. It can lead to serious injuries that can take ages to heal. So don’t let yourself become another statistic and do what it takes to avoid ice-related injuries.

Who Is Most at Risk?

While people over the age of 65 are most prone to falls, slipping and falling on ice can happen to every one of us. Most falls on ice occur due to one of the following reasons:

• Inappropriate footwear that doesn’t have a good grip
• Carrying bulky items and being careless
• Hurrying and even running on ice

What Can I Do to Prevent a Fall?

Staying at home in front of a fire would prevent most ice-related injuries, but since most of us need to go out even in icy conditions, being careful and paying attention to our surroundings can help avoid most unfortunate incidents.

These are our top ten tips for avoiding a fall:

• Wear appropriate shoes with a good grip
• Walk slowly and deliberately
• Take small steps to keep your centre balance under you
• Keep both hands out of your pockets and free for balance
• Avoid carrying heavy loads
• Always be aware of potential icy areas
• Use handrails wherever you can
• Plan your journey ahead and give yourself extra time
• Pay special attention when getting in and out of vehicles
• Keep paths clear of debris, water, ice and snow
• Be sure to use floor mats when entering a building to remove moisture from the soles of your shoes – this will help protect you, as well as others who follow, from having to walk on wet or slippery surfaces

Slips and trips are responsible for:

• Over a third of all reported major injuries;
• 20% of over-3-day injuries to employees;
• 2 fatalities per year;
• 50% of all reported accidents to members of the public that happen in workplaces;
• Cost to employers £512 million per year (lost production and other costs);
• Cost to health service £133 million per year;
• Incalculable human cost;

It has never been as vital to make sure your footpaths, car parks and access roads are safe when temperatures fall to freezing or below or when we get snowfall.

Snow and ice can cause massive disruption to any site, and with the huge potential for financial loss and injury to staff or visitors it is essential that it is managed and controlled.

Get rid of the headache this winter by letting Protech Property Solutions deal with and reduce that risk for you with their gritting and snow clearance services.

For more information on our winter services please call one of our friendly team on 0845 604 1288 or visit Protech Winter Solutions.