5 ways to stop slip fall accidents

Spring is finally with us and now that the rain has stopped and the days are getting longer it’s a great time to complete those niggling jobs like the 5 ways to stop slip fall accidents around the home.

Reducing slip fall accidents around the home is very important, not only for you but family and visitors as well. I can’t imagine how guilty I would feel if a visitor slipped on a floor or took a tumble on those front steps. When anyone over 60 visits I become very aware of all those little things I should have done to ensure my property was as safe as practical for parents or elderly relatives.

So on to the 5 must do’s

 

STAIRS

All stairs in the home should be well lit and have a contrasting edge so people can clearly see where the edge of each step starts. It sounds like overkill but anyone visiting with a vision impairment or balance issue will find negotiating well lit stairs with contrasting nosing much easier to deal with. These strips can be in the form of anti slip adhesive tape available at your local hardware or custom cut stair nosing with contrast inserts.

 

 

TILES & VINYL

Tile or vinyl surfaces that lead to external access doors are another area that should be looked at. These types of flooring have a nasty habit of turning into skating rinks if water is spilled or tracked in from outside. One of the simplest ways to reduce this type of risk is placing an absorbent entry mat inside the access door. The better long term solution is to look at a coating or an anti slip floor treatment that will increase the COF (Coefficient of Friction). These types of products are general invisible to the eye but provide much improved traction in the wet.

 

SLIPPERY PATHS

External paths and decking areas should be free of lichen and moss that builds up over winter particularly on the South and East facing sides of your property. Lichen and moss will hold moisture in their micro root structure and this will leave these surfaces extremely dangerous even well into summer if not removed. Fortunately there a several great products on the market that you simply spay on and after a week or two the whole structure including the root system is eliminated. If you don’t want to wait a few weeks hiring or borrowing a high pressure cleaner with a “deck” attachment will blast away most of the structure and then follow up with the spray.

 

EXTERNAL TRIP HAZARDS

Check around the home for uneven surfaces or raised concrete joins or even roots from garden beds next to paths. As we get older one of the first things to deteriorate is our balance and ensuring that paths and walkways are well lit and free of lumps and bumps is a great way to reduce slip fall accidents for the elderly. If there are surfaces that can’t be leveled think about installing a rail or grab bar on an adjoining wall.

 

RAMPS AND DRIVEWAYS

Take a look at any ramps or steep inclines outside the home. You would be surprised at the number of slip fall accidents that happen when trying to wheel the bin down a driveway that is wet or oily. This issue is again manageable with a couple of products from the local hardware, solutions like paving paint with a non slip additive will greatly improve traction even on an oily wet drive. These paints are available in a big range of colors to blend in with most surfaces and very are simple to apply.

 

Most councils in Australia provide free risk assessments for pensioners and the elderly, but if you haven’t made it to that status then think about getting in a professional to help identify areas of risk around the home because unfortunately over time we often adapt to these issues rather than fixing them and a fresh set of eyes may see the potential risks more clearly.

 

So there they are, the 5 must do’s to help stop slip fall accidents around the home. Some of them are simple fixes, some may need a friend but if all else fails there are companies like Friction Systems Australia that are there ready to reduce the risk and make your environment a safer place to be.