Facts

• In Canada approximately 60,000 people get injured annually due to slip/fall accidents.  This number represents about 15% of the time-loss injuries that were accepted by the Workers Compensation Boards or commissions across Canada.
• Slip/Fall accidents account for 20% of all reported injuries.
• Slip/Fall accidents are the number one cause of accidents in hotels, restaurants and public buildings in which 70% of them occur on flat level surfaces.
• Slips/Falls make up more than half of all the at home accidents i.e. bathtubs, shower stalls, wet tile on ceramic bathroom floor after shower.
• The average slip/fall accident costs an employer in Ontario approximately $2,000 in direct WSIB costs and a total of $22,000 in total indirect costs.  They can be a costly hazard to ignore.
• Mats are a traditional expensive, yet unattractive way of protecting floors when wet.  Although this expensive solution works for wet floors, they sometimes are more of a hazard as they can often create a tripping hazard.
• Bill C-45 section 217.1 - A very significant development in Canadian law is being highly enforced and legislated by the Ontario government forcing management to be held criminally responsible for safety.  This bill states that everyone who has the authority has a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm.  If you fail to take all reasonable precautions you can be held accountable.  A criminal code of prosecution also opens the door to significantly higher penalties than those under provincial legislation.  A prosecution for a breach of 217.1 requires the prosecutor to prove negligence.  Failure to comply will result in HUGE fines, not to mention other related expenses.