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Falls are one of the most serious yet overlooked safety risks we face every day. Whether at home, at work, or in public spaces, slips and falls account for more emergency room visits than any other cause, and they cost families, businesses, and communities billions of dollars each year.
In a recent episode of the Safety & Risk Success Podcast, our CEO, Thom Disch, sat down with host Christian Harris to pull back the curtain on what he calls the “hidden epidemic” of falls. Thom, author of the book Stop the Slip and founder of HandiTreads, has dedicated his career to helping people stay safe on stairs, ramps, decks, and walkways in every climate.
Slips, trips, and falls send more people to the emergency room than car accidents or fires.
The average slip-and-fall claim costs over $40,000, creating massive financial and legal exposure for businesses.
Despite their prevalence, falls are often dismissed as clumsy accidents rather than a preventable safety issue.
“People think falls ‘just happen,’ but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Thom explains. “They’re predictable, and more importantly, preventable.”
One of the biggest challenges in fall prevention is perception. Unlike fire safety, which has clear protocols and universal awareness, fall prevention is rarely discussed until an accident happens.
Thom highlights the psychological barrier: many homeowners and business owners assume “that won’t happen to me.” Yet data proves otherwise:
Falls impact seniors, workers, and even children.
Aging populations mean fall-related injuries are only going to rise.
Families often underestimate the emotional toll; a single fall can rob someone of independence.
During the podcast, Thom shares the most common hazards he sees in homes and workplaces:
The #1 factor? Surface traction. Without dependable traction, stairs and ramps become a hazard in rain, snow, or even with a layer of leaves.
The good news: preventing falls doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. As Thom explains:
Permanent traction systems like HandiTreads aluminum non-slip treads provide year-round slip resistance on wood, concrete, and composite surfaces.
Unlike temporary solutions, HandiTreads’ raised-button aluminum design works in rain, snow, ice, and mud without wearing out.
For businesses, even preventing a single accident can save tens of thousands of dollars in claims and liability.
“Slip prevention isn’t just about cost savings,” Thom says. “It’s about protecting people’s independence, dignity, and quality of life.”
Thom compares the cultural shift needed for fall prevention to the adoption of seatbelts. Once resisted, seatbelts are now universally recognized as essential. Fall prevention deserves the same awareness.
That’s why education is at the heart of his mission:
Thom’s book, Stop the Slip, offers practical, affordable solutions for homeowners and facility managers alike.
HandiTreads provides long-lasting products engineered to prevent falls in every environment.
Podcasts like this episode aim to change the way we think about falls: not as inevitable accidents, but as risks we can control.
Falls may seem like everyday accidents, but as HandiTreads’ CEO Thom Disch makes clear, they are far from random. They are part of a hidden epidemic that costs billions, changes lives in an instant, and yet is almost entirely preventable. By reframing falls as risks we can anticipate and control, just like fires or car crashes, we can take meaningful steps to protect the people we care about most.
Whether it’s installing permanent traction solutions like HandiTreads, improving lighting, or simply rethinking how we approach safety in our homes and businesses, prevention begins with awareness. The conversation Thom shares on the Safety & Risk Success Podcast is more than a discussion—it’s a call to action for all of us to take falls seriously.
The path to safer stairs, decks, and walkways doesn’t require sweeping change, but it does demand intention. With proven solutions, the right mindset, and a willingness to act before an accident happens, we can truly stop the slip.