During a trip to the Wolverhampton Mander Centre, I came across a number of potential hazards, which could potentially cause harm within this setting. The Mander Centre is a place where many service users can go to enjoy themselves, to shop in the many stores or to go eat in the fine restaurants – the town is place to hundreds of visitors per day, using the faculties available, constantly. This is why I was surprised to see a large number of hazards which could easily harm the service users in this area. One of the first hazards I came across was a bag full of sand, which was supposed to be keeping in place protection barriers, however the heavy bag had been left in the middle of the pavement. I believe this to be a major risk, a service user could easily trip and fall over this bag, which could result in major injuries. To prevent such a thing from happening, I would simply inform a nearby builder or a police officer (who are always round town) about the situation and thus allowing it to be placed correctly. I would not attempt to do this myself, as I do not know why this was placed or where this should be placed and attempting to pick up such a heavy bag, could lead to me resulting in a back injury ; if the item is not lifted and placed properly.
The second safety hazard I came across was a large box of waste pilled in front of a closed up shop. This box was over pilling and cans and cups were fallen across the floor. I believe this to be a safety hazard, as due to Wolverhampton's habit to pick up strong winds and rain, the waste could easily be flown across the streets and sidewalks along the Mander Centre, at any given time. This could easily trip up any by passers and in addition could attract birds, which could scare off any visitors of the shops. To prevent any of this from happening, I would inform the shop owner and explain the problem, in a polite and respectful way and ask them to put the waste in their recycling bins.
The third safety hazard that I saw was a scaffolding in between an alleyway, which did not have any safety signs or notices in places. Without a danger sign, a service user could easily not realise the threat and walk underneath it. This is a risk to anyone who does this, as they may be unaware of the building construction and the scaffolding could perhaps fall and injure them. To prevent this from happening I would inform a local police officer or a builder and explain to them the danger of not having a warning sign or notice. Signs are important as they inform by passers of any dangers or risks that could affect them.
The final risk I cam across was a broken floor tile on the pavement, between popular shops. I believe this would be a risk as a service user could easily trip over the large title and injure themselves. In addition, someone with a disability, such as a service user in a wheelchair could easily puncture a wheel and this could lead to the service user to injure themselves. I noticed many holes and dips in the pavement, so I would suggest either refilling the uneven pavement or completely getting the side walk re done. To go through with this, I would inform the local council and explain to them the risks and why this needs to be done.
