Shopping can be stressful these days, especially as the holiday season begins to approach. There will be more people in the store, and the pressure on the supply chain from the high holiday demand might mean that you can’t always get everything on your list.
The stress you experience from holiday shopping won’t be the only thing increasing in the next few weeks. The amount of risk that you have for getting hurt in the store is also on the rise right now because of seasonal factors.
Specifically, the potential for slip-and-fall is higher now than it would have been a few weeks ago when the weather was warmer.
Slip-and-fall incidents can lead to life-altering injuries
Falling in the store isn’t just painful and embarrassing. It can also lead to serious injuries. One in five falls will result in injuries that require medical attention according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Older adults are at particularly high risk for suffering long-term consequences after falling. Regardless of your age, watching out for seasonal slip risks can help you stay safer when you head to the store. When you fall, you can break a bone, suffer a traumatic brain injury, or even cause a soft tissue injury that requires weeks of rest before you go back to being pain-free.
The colder, wetter seasons come with higher risks
There is always a risk for you to slip in the store. Someone could have dropped a coffee and not told staff members about the spill. There could be a leak from the refrigerator or even product spilled on the floor that causes you to lose traction and fall.
However, the autumn, winter and spring months all carry increased risk for a fall in the store. Higher levels of precipitation will mean that the floors are more likely to be wet. There might also be leaves, snow or mud tracked in from outside. Shoppers may need to slow down at the exact time of year when they want to move more quickly through the stores.
Keeping an eye out for puddles, spills and leaves could help you avoid a slip and fall. Understanding your rights can help you protect yourself if you do get hurt because you fall while shopping.