It's a Friday around 2 p.m.

You've been working hard all day so you can leave a little bit early and enjoy the weekend. All you have left to do is clean up and carry some pieces of equipment across the worksite. There are a few steps you have to continually walk up and down but you've done it a million times before. You aren't really thinking about all the sweat and water that have accumulated on the already slick floors, though. You're carrying the last item, the heaviest item. Right before the final step you lose your traction, fall down, and that heavy piece of equipment falls right onto your ankle -- weekend ruined.

This might sound like a specific scenario, but it's actually one that's all too common across the United States. In fact, for many construction workers, a ruined weekend and twisted ankle would be the best case scenario in this kind of workplace accident.

Workplace safety, though a priority, isn't exactly as central as it should be in many workplaces. Approximately 25% of all reported workplace injury claims each year can be attributed to falls, which are often caused by poor traction on slippery workspaces. These incidents don't just result in missed time and damage to company property, either. According to the Department of Labor, slips, trips, and workplace falls are the second leading cause of accidental death behind vehicle-related accidents.

So what can a company do to prevent these potentially catastrophic incidents?

First, from the top-down, a culture of workplace safety needs to be implemented. No matter what kind of company you're running, it's essential that every single employee is fully aware of the importance of being focused on his or her safety from the moment they enter the vicinity to the second they leave. However, if you want a true culture of safety, every single employee needs to be focused on each other's safety, too. The slightest moment of disengagement can result in a disastrous situation that can negatively impact not only the company, but family's and individual lives.

Next, it's essential that the actual worksite is as secure as possible. Using high quality safety strips for ramps and safety treads for outdoor steps, for example, can reduce these common slips, trips, and falls to zero. Installing safety strips for ramps, non slip stair treads for interior steps, and safety treads for outdoor steps can help keep your employees well balanced throughout the long workdays and avoid accidents and injuries. Safety strips for ramps are a must when operating heavy machinery, as well. These incidents can be magnified when vehicles and other heavy machinery items are involved.

Don't let your workers -- or yourself -- fall victim to serious injuries due to having an unsafe workplace. If you want to find high quality treads for steps and ramps or yellow fluorescent reflective tape to block off unsafe areas, give Safe Way Traction a call today.