FOCUS ON SAFETY: Slips, Trips, and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls are second only to automobile accidents in causing personal injury. 60% of falls happen as a result of slips and trips and the remaining 40% are falls from heights. Slips, trips, and falls are among the easiest hazards to correct but still cause approximately 12,000 lives annually in both work environment and our homes.
In HACAP’s effort to continually improve the health and safety of our employees, the Safety and Health Committee’s first emphasis will be directed to reduce slips, trips, and falls for our HACAP family.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) defines a slip as occurring when there is too little friction between a persons feet and the walking surface. Trips occur when a person’s foot contacts an object and they are thrown off-balance. (Most codes and standards describe a change in level of ¼ inch or higher as a trip hazard.) Falls are usually the result of slips and trips. Slips most often result in a person falling backwards and trips often results in falling forward.
Well, now that we have this understanding, reducing these hazards should be a piece of cake for our highly observant employees. It just a matter of awareness. But, just to be on the safe side, we are going to provide you some things to remember to help you in your awareness to prevent slip, trips, and falls. Don’t be in a hurry, pay attention to your step, clean up spills, practice walking safety, use proper footwear for the situation, maintain proper lighting, exercise stair safety (use the handrail) and if you use ladders, inspect them before using them. When you remember these simple common sense principles you tremendously reduce your chances of slipping, tripping, and falling.
Remember, awareness of hazards is the key to reducing slips, trips, and falls. Everyone is responsible. Make sure you are following good housekeeping in you work area. So, to reiterate:
· Wear proper shoes and boots depending on the situation, your work area, and the environment. Keep them in good repair, avoid slippery soles.
· Take extra care when you come indoors with wet shoes or boots.
· Adjust your walking to the surface you are walking on, slow down, don’t run, and take small careful steps if the surface is rough, cluttered, slippery at an angle.
· When walking on icy or slippery surfaces use more of shuffle step then a heal to toe walk. Adjust the stride to a pace suitable for the surface.
· Don’t carry anything that will block your vision while walking. Lighten your load, don’t try to take everything on the first trip.
· Remove debris or obstructions in the walkway. Keep everything in it’s proper place.
· Hold the handrail when you go up and down stairs. Keep everything off the stairs. Make sure surfaces are kept in good condition.
· Report loose or torn flooring or carpet.
· Make sure of proper lighting. It bulbs are not working ask someone to get them replaced. If you cannot see what is in your walk way it can cause a hazard.
· Stay away from loading docks, manholes, or other ledges if you are not required to be in and around these areas.
· Don’t jump from platforms, loading docks, etc.
· Clean up or report spills immediately.
· Don’t leave desk or cabinet draws open.
· Don’t allow cords in the walkway unless they are properly covered.
· Avoid distractions.
· Never cut corners to take short cuts. When walking on slippery surfaces take wider turns.
· If you are carrying anything that can results in risky walking, get help from some one to carry the object. Use carts or dollies whenever it is necessary.
· Avoid pushing objects that prevent you from seeing what is front of you. Get help.
· Observe and obey safety signs. If you don’t have to, avoid walking on a designated wet surface.
Keep a safety sense attitude. Get enough sleep before coming to work. A sleepy person is an accident waiting to happen. You need to avoid complacency, pay attention to details, be aware that there are hazards and you need to adjust your behavior to avoid them. Remember safety is everybody’s business.
Management will do their part by keeping parking lots maintained: filling and patching cracks and holes; reducing surface water by directing roof drainage away from sidewalks and parking areas; cleaning sidewalks/parking areas of snow/ice before employees and clientsarrive. Our maintenance staff will monitor surfaces throughout the day to avoid changes to the surfaces.
We can avoid slips, trips, and falls if we all keep aware and do what we can to avoid these hazards. Be safe!