How to Prevent People from Tripping over Cords, Wires and Cables

Last Updated: December 23, 2021

It seems that everything has a cord attached to it. This can be problematic if you are operating a device in a high traffic areas. This article will teach you how to keep people safe from tripping over these cords.

Steps

1
Run the cord or wire along a wall if possible. There won't always be an outlet on the wall that you are next to, so this article deals with times when the cord needs to cross a pedestrian walkway.
2
Run the cord along the ceiling. This won't be practical for a temporary installation. But for a longer installation, the cord can be attached to the ceiling with tape or hooks. If the ceiling is tiled and you are willing to spend some extra time and effort, you can run the cord above the ceiling.

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3
Tape the cord to the floor with duct tape. Once again, this isn't practical if the cord will only be there for a short while. This will leave a sticky residue on the cord, which can be removed with damp melamine foam.
4
Place traffic cones along the cord. This will increase its visibility even if the cord is already a bright color. These cones are easy to deploy and are ideal for a temporary situation.
5
Use a cord cover. This is one of the easiest and most effective methods. Not only does it prevent people from tripping over the cord, it protects it from becoming damaged. They also allow vehicles to drive over the cord (provided that the vehicle moves slowly and does not cease movement while an axle is over the cord).

Community Q&A

Question

I fell over a loose wire in a car-park. I was walking in gaps between trees used regularly by people. I got badly injured. Am I entitled to anything?

Community Answer

You're entitled to call a lawyer. If it was on city property, then you may not get anything.
Question

Can you state two causes of falling ICT equipment and how to prevent it?

Community Answer

Improper installation and Plastic. Some "installers" just place the item on a flat surface without securing or tethering it at all. It takes just so many Garbage Trucks, Cement Trucks and Buses rumbling by until it has walked itself to the edge to finally fall. Power Wires just pull right out. Many times they're taped in place with plastic foam, hung with plastic brackets or just have their wires secured as the tether. Well, plastic sucks and always dries out, turns brittle or just decides to split, crack or break away with no indication at all.

Warnings

Always secure your cord. If a person seriously injures themselves by tripping over your cord, you will be legally liable.

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Never underestimate a person's ability to not see something. That brightly colored cord with fluorescent reflective stripes on it may seem impossible to miss to you, but someone somewhere will manage to miss it.

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