Slips, trips and falls (STF) incidents are a main topic that I cover in October and November with my clients. The reason is without a doubt the leading cause of workplace injuries that I see throughout my client locations. These injuries can also lead to some of the costliest worker compensation claims.
Every winter a countless number of employees are injured on the job due to slips, trips, and falls. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), slip, trip and fall injuries, depending on occupation, account for 18-30% of all job-related injuries, and 12-15% of all workers’ compensation expenses. Slips, trips and falls are the second only to motor vehicle accidents, as the cause of 15% of all fatalities in the workplace.
When reviewing this safety issue with employees, I almost always hear someone say “Sure, but most fatalities are probably due to falling off of roofs and ladders!” Certainly, falls to lower levels result in more fatalities, but statistics show that around 67% of all slips, trips and falls happen at the same level.
In my experience, slips, trips, and falls normally increase in November, and continue through February. Without a doubt, winter conditions are a major factor in slips, trips and falls. Common injuries include: concussions, head and neck injuries, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries. The good thing is; slips, trips, and falls in the workplace are 100% preventable in most cases.
Let’s break down these three events and look at the common causes:
Slips
Slips happen when a person loses traction and or cannot maintain their footing. Poor housekeeping is a leading cause of slips. Liquids on working and walking surfaces are a common cause of slips in the workplace.
Trips
Trips happen when a person catches their foot or leg on an object while walking. Almost anything can become a trip hazard if it ends up where people walk. Poor housekeeping and work practices are the leading cause of trips in the workplace. A common hazard for pallet operations are boxes of supplies, stray pallets, bandsaw blades, cords and nail gun hoses.
Falls
Falls are drops or descents due to gravity through loss or lack of support, or by slipping or tripping.
Preventing Slips
Practice good housekeeping
Good housekeeping is key to preventing slips in the workplace. Cleaning up spills and messes as employees work will prevent most accidents. Administrative controls that reduce hazards by good work practices, and good housekeeping policies and procedures will reduce exposures. Engineering controls that reduce dust accumulation and other materials on working and walking surfaces will remove exposures and reduce the need for a lot of housekeeping.
Wear footwear with good soles and traction
Inform your employees so that they make smart footwear purchases that increase traction ability. Wearing winter footwear with traction soles while working outside, and while coming and going from work is extremely important. Many accidents occur while coming and going from work. Office staff should keep comfortable footwear at work and can change-out their winter boots when at work or in the office.
Do not run, or move quickly on slippery surfaces
Promote safe walking speeds, and inform personnel that running on walking surfaces, and jumping from higher surfaces is unsafe, and is not acceptable.
Entryways, stairways, hallways and doorways are common areas for slip hazards
Teach employees to take time when transitioning from inside to outside, and from the outside to the interior of buildings. Wet and cold soles are very slippery on concrete and smooth flooring surfaces. Water brought in from outside, and deposited on the entry area creates one of the worst exposure hazards. Use mats or runners at foot traffic entry points to buildings in order to absorb water or snow as personnel enter. Absorbent runners at the entry areas will reduce water accumulation, and reduce the hazard from wet soles on work surfaces. Absorbent runners will also help reduce slips when transitioning to the outside, where wet shoes on snow and ice is a dangerous mix.
Entry areas should be properly lighted to increase visibility
Entry areas can be hazardous when there are changes in lighting from exterior to interior. A person’s eyes need time to adjust, and poorly lit entry areas create a dangerous point of transition.
When carrying items while walking on slippery surfaces, teach employees to keep one hand free for obtaining handholds and balance
When two hands are needed for carrying items, make sure that they don’t carry too much at one time. If needed, they can make an extra trip. Promote team work, and asking for help when carrying objects from outside to the inside of the workplace.
Install railings and handholds in areas of high foot traffic, uneven surfaces, and ramps
Teach employees to utilize railing and handholds whenever possible.
Use ice melt, salt, cinders or gravel to make walk areas safer
Assign first arriving personnel the task of placing ice melt and materials that increase traction at the beginning of their shift, reducing exposures for others when they arrive.
Post areas that are prone to slippery surfaces
Post warning signs, such as wet floors, where water or snow may accumulate to remind employees of possible exposures.
Keep walkways, entries, and exits clear and free of dust, shavings, materials, particles, snow, water and liquids
Continuous monitoring of these areas is important to ensure exposures are cleaned up, before an accident occurs.
Clear snow from vehicles prior to allowing them to enter the building.
Clean vehicles leave less slip hazards, and make forklift operation safer.
Outdoor areas prone to ice and slippery surfaces
• Doorways to buildings
• Stairways, porches & ramps
• Concrete walkways
• In front of overhead doors
• Under eaves & near down spouts
• Parking areas where the sun & hot vehicle engines melt snow
• Heavy traffic areas where snow is packed
• Areas where leaves have accumulated
Interior areas prone to slippery floors
• Building corridors, and entry areas
• Wet concrete floors
• Heavy foot traffic areas
• Near doorways where people or equipment pass through
• Below overhead doors
• Snow melting from vehicles on concrete
• Water on oil spills
• Wet leaves on flooring
Preventing Trips
Housekeeping and maintenance are important preventative measures in trip hazard reduction. Good housekeeping decreases exposures that create workplace injuries and illnesses, while at the same time, increase productivity and efficiency. Teach employees to clean up as they work, and to put equipment and tools back where they belong.
Good housekeeping and maintenance practices that reduce trip hazards
• Clean up spills immediately.
• Use extension cords as intended, only for short term purposes.
• Coil-up air hoses when not in use, and place them out of the way of walkways and egress areas.
• Utilize hanging hooks and racks to store extension cords and air hoses out of the way when not in use.
• Teach employees to pick up their tools
• Keep walkways clear of materials.
• Teach forklift operators to never leave pallets near walkways and points of egress.
• Ensure forklift operators always lower the forks to the ground or floor level.
• Never store materials on stairways, in hallways or walkways.
• Ensure hallways, walkways, and stairways have good lighting to increase visibility.
• Ensure areas of walkways that have unlevel or height transitions have good lighting, so employees can see the floor.
• Teach employees to close lower drawers and filing cabinets in office areas whenever they’re not accessing them.
Preventing Falls
• Ensure upper level walkways and cat walks have good lighting.
• Ensure upper level walkway and catwalk surfaces are of slip resistant material.
• All holes in walking surfaces must be covered or barricaded to prevent entry.
- All covers shall be secured to prevent accidental displacement.
- All temporary covers should be color-coded or bear the markings “HOLE” or “COVER.”
- Covers located in roadways shall be able to support twice the axle load of the largest vehicle that might cross them.
- Covers shall be able to support twice the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that might cross them.
• Ensure all upper level walkways and work surfaces are properly railed. Railing should be a nominal 42" in height, having a mid-rail, and kickboard.
• All railing must be able to withstand a minimum of 200 pounds of horizontal pressure.
• Employees should always utilize railing when ascending and descending stairways.
• Never set up a ladder in high traffic areas without utilizing cones, warning tape, or an attendant for safety purposes.
• Teach employees how to properly select, inspect, and set up ladders.
• Employees must always maintain three points of contact when ascending and descending ladders, vehicles or equipment. Example: Two handholds on the vehicle, and one foot on the ground while the other foot is in motion.
• Employees must never carry tools or equipment while ascending or descending a ladder.
• Ensure rubber foot pads are in good order on all roll step ladders. These rubber pads are the braking device to prevent the roll steps from moving when stepping on and off.
• When using a forklift as a personnel lift, an approved cage must be used and all required fall protection must be in place.
Editor’s Note: Jary Winstead is a safety consultant, author and trainer who serves a variety of industries including the forest products sector. He owns Work Safety Services LLC and can be reached at SAFEJARY@gmail.com.
