Preventing Slips, Trips & Falls

Thank you all for your engagement and interest over Safety Month (June, 2024).

As we look forward to July, we also wanted to wrap up Safety Month by presenting our Week 4 Topic: Slips, Trips & Falls.

According to OSHA, slips, trips & falls cause nearly 700 workplace facilities per year, 15% of all workplace deaths.

Slips, trips & falls in total account for approximately 12,000 injuries / year, which equates to about a quarter of all reported insurance claims.

In general, slips, trips & fall injuries cost employers on average $40,000 / incident.

Did you know that OSHA mandates that employers provide training for employees that may be exposed to fall hazards? (29 CFR 1910 Subpart D - Walking - Working Surfaces, 1910.28)

Here are some ideas to assist employers in reducing the potential for injuries from slips, trips & falls in the workplace:

• Complete a lighting assessment to ensure that work areas, walkways, staircases, etc. have adequate lighting. Poor lighting can lead to an increased risk of accidents. Inspect / test lighting on a regular basis to ensure functionality during normal operation and under emergency conditions (loss of power).
• Implement a Housekeeping Program. Keep floors and walkways clean and free from obstacles, which can cause trips and falls. Regularly inspect floors and walkways to ensure upkeep. This can be particularly important in manufacturing / machine shop environs. where oil spills and slippery floors are more common.
• Develop a Safe Lifting Procedure to limit individual lifting of large bulky items.
• Implement a EHS hazard observation program with prompt employee access to reporting tools (QR code form, hard copy forms, email notification, etc.). Ease of reporting will encourage employees to report more frequently, including observations related to slips, trips & falls (uneven cracked pavement @ entrance, icy/slippery conditions outside place of employment, etc.). Prompt reporting should lead to prompt corrective action, which will reduce the number of slip/trip/fall hazards in the workplace.
• Ensure employees don footwear appropriate for the task at hand. In some cases, this could include steel toe shoes, non-slip safety shoes, rubberized soles, etc.
• Refine your spill response procedures to include limiting access to spill areas and the use of signage. Reduction of foot traffic in the area of a spill will reduce the potential for slips, trips & falls.
• Development & Implement a Slip, Trip & Fall Prevention Program, inclusive of regular inspections, responsible parties, etc. This program may include elements such as:

Policy statement

Routine inspections (clean floors and walkways, slippery areas/leaking condensers/oil spills, equipment leaks, blocked walkways/power cords/frayed or lose carpet or rugs, etc.)?

Definition of areas will fall risks and required fall protection

Training requirements

Snow and ice control procedures

Safe ladder use and inspection program

Roof Access Procedures

Incident reporting and corrective action procedures

CES is available to assist with any of your Walking - Working Surface, Fall Protection needs. Feel free to reach out for more information!?