In-home daycare slip, trips and falls

Are you aware that in home child care providers report a significant number of injuries as a result of slips, trips, and falls? These accidents can occur at any time due to wet and slippery conditions or when there are foreign objects left on walking surfaces. Consider the following to reduce the risk of slips and falls within your home based child care center:

• Limit areas where parents and visitors can go in your home. This will make it easier to keep floors free from spills.
• Don’t leave visitors unsupervised.
• Walk through common areas and regularly clean up all spills no matter how small they may seem.
• Make sure area and entry rugs, if used, are secured in place with non-slip tape.

It’s also important to pay attention to slip and fall hazards outside your home. Here are a few things to consider:

• During cold weather make sure to eliminate ice patches.
• In the Fall, keep leaves, water, and debris off of sidewalks and steps.
• Watch for areas where moisture collects on walkways and correct any problem areas.
• Keep your outdoor walkways well lighted so visitors can see potential slip hazards.

Trips and falls happen when a foreign object is in the way of where someone is walking or the walking surface itself is uneven. Due to the nature of child care centers, with toys and others items commonly on the floors, trip and fall accidents are very common. Consider the following steps to reduce these common incidents:

• Have parents wait outside the room when picking up and dropping off children.
• Check often to make sure there are no items on the floors in entryways, exits, and walkways.
• Keep halls, stairs, and all areas open to parents and visitors well lighted.
• When having work done in your home keep visitors away from all work areas.
• Check area rugs to make sure edges are not raised. This is a common tripping hazard.

Most home based child care centers have unique characteristics that require your attention to reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls. Regular observations of your home and its surroundings will allow you to identify hazards that need to be corrected. Take immediate action when hazards are observed before someone has a chance to fall.

If an accident does occur on your property it is important to investigate and report it immediately. An investigation may include taking pictures of an area where someone fell, gathering contact information of anyone injured, and collecting the facts of the accident. Visit Markel's resource library to learn more about claim mitigation.