At the close of 2014, the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) made news by announcing a new certification program designed to give safety managers advanced knowledge and understanding of how to prevent slips, trips, and falls in walkways. The program is geared toward businesses and individual property owners alike, aiming to spread awareness for the danger of accidental slips and falls while also providing the educational background needed to remain current with safety standards, rules, and regulations.
Though the certification program is new, the NFSI has been training walkway auditors since as early as 2006. Now, however, businesses and property owners may obtain advanced accreditation for completing the NFSI’s walkway audit and safety program.
Commenting on the new program, Russell Kendzoir states, “Our content-centered WACH [Walkway Auditor Certification Holder] course prepares candidates to produce an actionable walkway audit for businesses and property owners[…] as well as ensuring that they are employing the best practices to protect both employees and customers,” (i).
3 Reasons to Consider WACH Certification
The announcement of WACH accreditation program might have you wondering whether the program is worthwhile, or mere hype. While this is a decision every business and property owner must make by weighing unique operational and safety needs, there are a few key considerations that might help the decision process.
1. Slip and fall accidents cost over $14 billion in 2012. This figure was gather by the Liberty Mutual Institute for Safety, published in the 2013 Workplace Safety Index. The incidence of slips, trips, and falls are increasingly costing American business owners both capital—both financial and human—which is reason enough to consider serious updates to safety protocols.
2. Fatal slip and fall accidents have increased nearly 10% since 2008. These numbers have been gathered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Fatal Occupational Injuries reports, years 2008 through 2012.
3. American businesses may soon be required to have a “Qualified Person” inspect walkways. In an article posted to Healthy Facilities Institute® website, experts point out that the Obama administration has announced a Unified Agenda that, under the directive of the Labor Department and OSHA, may require American businesses to have a qualified individual perform routinely inspect walkways. Should this agenda become final, a WACH certification might qualify an individual to perform such assessments.
Learn More About WACH Certification
To learn more about WACH certification, visit the National Floor Safety Institute online at http://nfsi.org/training/.
Shop Commercial Mats & Safety Products
A vast majority of slip and fall accidents are the result of wet or improperly maintained floor surfaces. Proactively protect employees and customers from accidental slips, trips, and falls with commercial matting and safety products from Eagle Mat and Floor Products.
It is our pleasure to assist you. For more information, visit our commercial floor mats online store or call a customer service representative at 1-877-333-1018.
Sources
(i) http://www.healthyfacilitiesinstitute.com/a_426-NFSI_Receives_ANSI_CAP_Accreditation_for_Walkway_Auditor_Certificate_Program
