How to Prevent Slips and Falls in the Kitchen [Easiest Ways]

Accidental slips can happen anywhere in the working environment, and the kitchen is the place where the probability of slips and falls is at max.

With all the hustle and bustle of a kitchen – cluttered kitchen area, wet floor, oil spills, or leaked dispenser – anything can cause slips and falls.

The point of concern is that these slips can get severe. The nature of the kitchen environment is such that the falling person can get more injured.

While trying to stop the fall, the person may touch hot things or pull anything from the stove, burning himself.

From bruises and cuts to sprains and fractures, slips and falls can lead to turmoil and distress. Check our top picks for the best kitchen mats for hardwood floors.

Kitchen Under 100 brings a guide on how to prevent slips and falls in the kitchen. So without further ado let’s begin.

Causes of Slips and Falls in The Kitchen

These slipping hazards are triggered by many reasons. Some of the reasons for accidental slips in the kitchen are discussed below.

Slippery and Wet Floors

Kitchen floors may get slippery due to water spillage near the basin area. Oil and other liquid spills also cause the surface to be slippery. Similarly, food on the floor also contributes to slips and falls.

If you have installed hardwood floor in kitchen, we suggest you to read the pros and cons of wood floor in kitchen.

Non-Grip Footwear

Non-grip footwear used on the wet or slippery surface are one of the major reasons for falls and accidents in the kitchen as the kitchen area is more prone to get wet.

Unorganized Kitchen

An unorganized and cluttered kitchen is an open invitation for people working there to trip over things.

Inappropriate Flooring

Some flooring lacks the fraction and can’t be non-slip when water, grease, or other liquids are spilled on it. It can contribute to incidents of slipping and falling.

Loose Mats or Loose Floor Covering

Mats that do not lie flat or have bumps or curls can create a slip hazard. Move on it the wrong way, and boom! In addition to that, loose floor covering also has the hazardous potential of causing slip.

How to Prevent Slips and Falls in the Kitchen

Deal With Spillages Immediately

Water and other spillages should be dealt with immediately rather than using temporary solutions like cardboard or tissue paper to soak up the spill.

Dry the floors properly after cleaning. A large number of slipping accidents can be avoided by using a simple preventive measure.

Wear Anti-Slip Footwear

The non-slip footwear should be worn at all times in the kitchen. Those footwear soles which have higher friction and deep tread grooves can resist against slippery floors.

The rubber soles work better than polyurethane soles. A restaurant owner should reinforce wearing anti-slip footwear to reduce slip hazards at work.

Organize Kitchen Area

Organize the kitchen area so that it’s not obstructed by objects and lets you move around in the kitchen easily. Trips in the kitchen are most likely to be caused by unkempt and unorganized things.

Practice Immediate Tidying Habits

The kitchen is more prone to getting untidy and is the most difficult to keep it clean at all times. To add to that, vegetable and fruit skins, food scraps, and bits and pieces of food always find a way to the floor.

The seemingly non-hazardous things may contribute to falling and slips. Practice immediate tidying habits to avoid such happenings.

Moreover, install a dustbin in multiple areas so that the waste is disposed of immediately.

No Hurried Movements in the Kitchen

The kitchen is the busiest place in our homes or restaurants. Whether you are a restaurant owner or a home cook, you shouldn’t allow any hurried movements in the kitchen. Running around or moving hurriedly can lead to any hazardous slip that can become serious.

Other Anti-Trip Measures – Flooring and Anti-Slip Mats

Flooring

Not all kinds of floors are the same. Some floors are not slip-resistant when they are wet or oily.

If you are planning to change flooring or building a new home or restaurant, you can have a look at the Health and Safety Executive’s guidelines to decide which kind of flooring would suit best in your restaurant or home kitchen.

How Kitchen Mats Can Control Slip and Fall in The Kitchen?

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Another way to stop slipping in the kitchen is to use an additional safety measure – floor mats.

Floor mats are a viable source for preventing slips. A slip-resistant rubber backing and tread patterns on the floor mat provide sure footing.

Some kitchen mats are designed with drainage holes. These can be effective if your kitchen is subjected to daily spills as the water or liquid spills can drain through it.

While floor mats are the best option for preventive slip and fall, if they aren’t installed in the proper location, they can cause a potential hazard too.

You should identify the right spots where there is a high foot traffic or a high probability of slips and falls; and install your kitchen mats there.

Maintenance of kitchen floor mats is also very important, to keep them neat and clean we have posted a detailed guide to cleaning kitchen floor mats like a pro.

Wrapping Up!

According to the HSE report slips, trips and fall is the major factor in injuries. But fortunately, these injuries can be avoided by using simple preventive tricks. Prevention can be in the form of observing good practices by organizing, setting rules, and immediate cleaning. Similarly, falls and slips can also be stopped by installing floor mats appropriately or even by changing flooring type. Using safety measures, you can avert slip accidents that can get fatal.