STATISTICS
Slip-and-fall incidents cause 15 percent of all accidental deaths, second only to motor vehicle accidents. Recent trend analysis of data from large venues in the U.S. has shown that slip-and-fall incidents account for more than two-thirds of all incidents and two-thirds of all claims dollars paid in any given year.
Spill Response
A good slip-and-fall prevention program must take into account human errors and guard against foreseeable occurrences. Although you can't take responsibility for patrons spilling their drinks or dropping trash throughout the facility, your safety program should be constructed to respond when it happens.
Financial Impact Slip-and-fall incidents, whether they result in a workers' compensation claim or a general liability claim, can have a negative impact on an organization's bottom line. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), slip-and-fall accidents cost property owners across the country more than $20 billion each year. The NFSI also estimates that the average slip-and-fall claim nationwide costs $3,900 to settle; the average cost to litigate a lawsuit has reached $100,000.
Incident investigation
Incident investigations are an important risk management tool for a facility's safety program for several reasons. They provide information that allows your insurance company to set the appropriate claims reserve and know when to defend or settle a claim. Through incident investigations, trends also can be identified, and important lessons can be learned so that future incidents can be prevented. The following are items to consider when developing your incident investigation program:
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