From a worker's standpoint, WorkCover Queensland highlights the impact of obstacles in walkways and the importance of effective designs to prevent trips and falls.

Considerations include:

• Recognizing that obstacles, whether temporary or permanent, can encroach into walkways, posing risks to safety. Solutions should focus on designs that keep items off and away from these pathways.
• Acknowledging that obstacles on walkways often indicate poor workplace design or inadequate housekeeping, leading to accidents.
• Identifying hazards that can be temporary (rubbish, boxes, cables, tools, bags, pallets, temporary storage) or permanent (poorly located machines, furniture, shelving, ground fittings/fixtures, tree roots affecting paths, uneven ground or flooring).
• Acknowledging that in some workplaces, obstacles may include small children or small animals.
• Recognizing that the most hazardous obstacles are those that blend into the background, are unexpected, and cannot easily be seen.

To address these risks, WorkCover Queensland recommends:

• Implementing simple methods to keep obstacles away from walkways and work areas, such as recessing or rebating common structural trip hazards (e.g., sliding door frames, shower hobs) and providing clear and even surfaces for walkways, with plant, equipment, and fittings fenced off from these areas.
• Managing cabling, cords, and hoses to reduce tripping risks, including using organizers to bundle them, recessing permanent cabling/hosing if on the floor, securing temporary cabling with bevelled protective covers or tape, using retractable holders, mounting cords near or underneath desks or work areas, and considering wall-mounted storage hooks, shelves, or hose spools.
• Ensuring that cords and cabling are suspended appropriately to minimize tripping hazards in the workspace.