How To Avoid Slipping And Falling In The Bathroom

When it comes to keeping steady, Americans seem to have a little trouble staying on their feet. In fact, medical costs and compensation associated with slip and fall accidents on the job amount to about $70 billion annually.


No matter where you are or how careful you are, there’s always a chance for you to fall. Believe it or not, slip and fall accidents account for the second most accidental deaths behind motor vehicles and account for more than 10,000 workplace injuries. Whether you fall on your floors at home or on the concrete outside or even at work due to new floor coating, you’re at great risk for injury when it happens.


Slipping and falling is bad at any age, but it’s even more of a concern for senior citizens, who are at risk of gravely injury themselves should they be unfortunate enough to slip and fall on flooring somewhere like the kitchen or the bathroom.


Between hard surfaces, wet surface and all different types of floors, there’s all kinds of potential for a slip and fall accident. One of the worst places it can happen is in the bathroom. Americans spent hours in the bathroom each week, so there’s a lot of potential for accidents. To avoid slip and fall accidents, here are some tips for being more careful in the bathroom:

• Ditch the rugs: There’s no doubt rugs are a great way to help keep water off the bathroom floor, but even with the best rugs in the world, water can still end up on the floor. A slippery rug on your floors is a common culprit for slips and falls. One wrong step and you’ll end up slipping on a wet rug and ending up on the floor. To prevent this, find some slip resistant rugs that don’t slide as much.
• Make the bathtub fall-proof: You’ve like seen commercials or ads about falling in the tub. That’s because it’s easy to do, especially with all that moisture. To keep this from happening, find a bath mat with some adhesive to put down. You want something that soaks up moisture and keeps you from ending up on the tub floor.
• Turn the lights on: Anyone can use the bathroom with no problem in the daytime, but when nighttime rolls around, turn some lights on. With no light, you’re basically asking to hit the floors and injure yourself. Make sure your bathroom has enough lighting and that it’s easily accessible. If your bathroom isn’t close by, plug in some night lights to light the floors and a path to the bathroom.
• Dryness is desired: One of the easiest solutions to preventing slip and fall accidents in the bathroom is to keep everything dry. A weighted shower curtain can keep water off the floors and it’s always beneficial to have at least a few towels nearby to dry wet spots you might see on the floor.
• Give yourself something to hold: A peel and stick bath mat is a good starter for to keep yourself from falling, but to really keep yourself safe, you need to do a little more. That can easily be done by installing a bar or hand rail in your shower. The great thing about bars and rails is they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials, so you can easily find something that’s going to work. You can also throw a shower seat in your tub or shower to give yourself something to sit in. Ultimately, your goal is to not end up on the floor and you should install whatever you need to keep yourself safe.

There’s no doubt that taking a hot shower is a nice way to relax. But make sure to take your time and don’t rush. When you rush, accidents happen and the last thing you want is to fall on your hard floors at home and wind up in the hospital with a major injury. By taking some time to add rails and handles and slip resistant mats and rugs, you’ll keep yourself safer and off the floor.