Rain and dust don’t make a great combination. In fact, the result of water mixed with months of settled dust results in mud, which make surfaces so slippery that if you don’t take precautions you will simply fall and injure your back. This is one of the reasons why many workplaces have mandated the use of work boots for men and women. Proper safety boots definitely lowers the risk of slip related injuries by a lot, but besides that we have more tips that will help you stay safe on slippery surfaces.
Change Your Walking Surface
There are certain things that may be within your control. The path you take to work is one of those things. You can easily resurface your walkway with slip resistant gravel or rubber pieces which will provide adequate drainage for water to seep underneath into the soil and also prevent slips. If it’s beyond your control, just find a better alternative. That means changing the route to take a better, less slippery road.
Use a Prop
Props can be a good temporary measure to prevent slips. Even a simple stick is good enough to keep you from stopping yourself on time before things ugly and out of hand. This however is not a practical idea if you are a professional working outdoors in slippery conditions. In such conditions, the best thing to do is to find a proper pair of safety shoes with the right grip.
Take Clues from Nature
Have you watched how penguins and ducks walk? The gait they use has a reason. These creatures spend most of their time walking on slippery surfaces and their gait makes them stable. Don’t do an exaggerated duck walk, however, if you let the flat of your boot make more contact with the ground you will be safer.
With all said and done, we think the safest thing to do is to invest in a pair of good work boots for men.