Most of us spent our infancy struggling to find our way around the world. and even the most graceful ballerina or steady-handed surgeon occasionally have an accident just by moving about. While there is no such thing as a perfectly safe world, the addition of safety equipment in sensible locations can help all of us go through life with a few less bumps, bangs, and bruises. For those who don't think that their business or home can make use of safety equipment, maybe these tales will remind you of how they help.
The "Unexpected" Customer
At a small firm in the outskirts of a major city, a nondescript van pulled into the lot on a typical weekday afternoon. A kind woman gets out and helps her disabled partner out of the vehicle, and they approach the steps to the office. Not deterred by the lack of an access ramp, she attempts to help him ascend one ledge at a time. On the third step, the wheel slips and they fall to the start. In the process, the chair broke a wheel and the woman sprained her ankle. They left thereafter, and the potential business opportunity turned into a scathing review for the firm in the disabled community.
Over 2 million people in the United States rely on a wheelchair to move around. This means that if you serve at least 150 people, it is more than likely that one of them will be in a wheelchair. It's three times as likely that they will have a mobility impairment that requires a cane, walker, or other assistant device.
The Stray Spray
Joseph was in a rush as the trickle of light from Monday's dawn battered at the window of the bathroom, the fog from his shower blocking its path. In his haste, the curtain was improperly placed and failing to stop a steady stream of water from soaking the side of the towel placed at the floor to soak up the escaping tide. When the boy bounded out of the grasp of the basin, his first step surfed along a wave of water that was laying in wait. He would miss every class while in the hospital, but one break came at the cost of several across his skeleton.
The data suggests that more than a few of us have experienced a similar situation. Over 250,000 people in the USA were injured in the bathroom in 2011, constituting the majority of all accidental injuries across the nation. The addition of safety rails with grips designed for the wet environment might end up saving you or someone you love from pain and suffering that could have been avoided.