About nine years ago, during our first tech rehearsal of a week-long show that was slapped together on the fly, the blackout after scene 1 left the stage (and backstage) in complete darkness.  I walked towards where I thought the exit stairs might be, misjudged the distance, and did a complete header off a three-foot high platform, breaking my right shoulder.

Rehearsal was halted while I was taken to the emergency room to get x-rays and a sling.  The next day, the show went on and -- being the trooper that I am -- so did I, with my right arm dangling lifelessly by my side.  I saved my sling for when I was offstage.

Although no one was behind me pushing or shoving, I believe a lot of that behavior is due to the slight panic actor's feel in their rush to get off stage and not being able to find the exits quickly enough.

"Running lights" or "Safety lights" on the stairs would've solved this problem.  They are low-wattage bulbs -- much like your typical night-lights found in children's nurseries.  You can make your own using coffee cans or other tins with a socket and bulb inside, covering the opening with a blue gel.  If placed correctly, they offer just enough light to mark the exits safely without distracting from the blackout or lighting design of the production.

For a quick fix you could use fluro spiking tape or the spike paint works as well on the floor. The paint can only be seen in the dark & is charged up when the lights are on, also it is washable! White gaffer tape is useful on the edge of steps or rostra & works well in the dark.
As Topper suggests use a sconce light which are easy enough to produce.
Get an empty  beer or cool drink can, cut an elongated oblong slit out of one side from top to bottom. Wide enough to put a 15w globe thru. Get some bulldog clips, the type that can be mounted on a flat clip board. Pop Rivett it on the opposite side of the can to the slit opening. Cut a hole in bottom of the can to accept the electrical globe socket. Fit the globe & an electrical supply cable & you have produced a sconce, that can be clipped on anywhere & when plugged in shine on the floor with blue gel fitted. These can also be used for music stand sconce lights as well!
The last theatre I wired up a theatre a few years ago, I designed into the circuit a mode switch, which switched over from white [work] light to blue[show] lighting for back stage. I used bulk head light fittings around the back stage walls, which had a dual globes of white & blue on separate circuits. So when the lighting  is switched to show mode, no white light could be switched on. But that?s another story & won?t solve you problem!
When the blackout cue goes is the scene change done upstage of Tabs or masking. If so get you bio box to cue in a work light channel, if it is done in view of the audience, try a brown out!

I found some fluro spike tape at one of those $2 shops & also from a kids novelty store, quiet cheap!
I would think any theatre lighting supplier would have the paint in stock. It is produced by Rosco who do the colour Gel Filters.
  One effective trick is to shine a blue light at stage floor level, away from the stage off into the wings, on OP & PS!
Also white Gaffer tape takes trafic better than sparky tape!

We have no curtain so always have a black out at the end of each scene/act. The SM opens a door and shines a tiny flashlight to the floor. Everyone goes to the light (I tell them not to hurry) and it is surprising how much light that tiny speck gives for the actors on stage. There is a black out curtain hanging just inside that door and plenty of light behind that. We are all seniors but (knock on wood) have not had any accidents.

Barb

k8tt,

It's scary stuff when injuries happen. It's also a mark of a good stage manager that you feel responsible for the actor's safety and well being.

Running lights, as mentioned above, are a must. An actor coming off stage has just been blinded by the stage lights, so they aren't going to see as well as everyone in the wings.

It looks like you're already in the show at this point, but the best way to find safety weak points is to walk where the actors walk under their conditions. Stop the second you can't see something, and add whatever's appropriate (lights/tape/handrail).

-Tom