Preventing Workplace Slips, Trips & Fallsucip.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Slips-Trips-and... · 2020. 7. 27. · 5 Four Risk Factors • Environment •Equipment • Work

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Preventing Workplace Slips, Trips & Falls

Presented byBryan Olsen, CSP

Workers Compensation Fund

Preventing WorkplaceSlips, Trips & Falls

• Statistics

• Causes

• Prevention

• OSHA regulations relating to slip/trip/fall injury prevention

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Consequence of a Fall

Consequence of a Fall Cont.

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Bureau of Labor Statistics(Same Level)

Age Group

1. 45-54

2. 55-64

3. 35-44

Sex

Male = 67,920

Female = 89,600

From Ladder

Male = 14,410Female = 3,120

Jumping

Male = 4,490Female = 330

BLS Statistics Cont.

Service Years

1. >5yrs

2. 1-5 yrs

3. 3-11 months

Industry

1. Transportation - 43k

2. Education & Health Care -37k

3. Manufacturing – 17k

4. Construction - 9k

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Four Risk Factors

• Environment

• Equipment

• Work Practices

• Individual

Causes of Slips, Trips and Falls

Flooring50%

Footwear24%

Fraud10%

Failure to 

Warn9%

Training7%

Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls2006 National Safety Council

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

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Woman Falls Down Trap Door

Slip/Fall Different Level&

Slip/Fall into OpeningsCauses• Unguarded floor openings or platforms• Stepping off• Jumping off• Guard rails not adequate• Not using 3 Point Contact – Equipment & Trucks• Lack of fall protection• Slippery surface in combination w/level change

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

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Slip/Fall Liquid/Grease

• Wet floors

• Spills

• Grease buildup

• Poor housekeeping

• Floors not well maintained

• Poor footwear

• Slip Resistant Mats not in Use

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

Slip/Fall on Stairs

• Poor snow/ice removal• Stairs not maintained• Stairs not meeting OSHA

requirements for fixed stairs• Hand rails not present or not

used• Poor Lighting• Carrying objects that limit

vision or prevent the individual from holding on to hand rail

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OSHA Requirements for Stairs:

• Must hold load of five times intended load, and never less than a moving concentrated load of 1,000 pounds.

• 22” wide minimum• Angle of rise between 30 and 50 degrees• Slip-resistant treads and nosings• Standard railings on open sided stairs, hand

rails on closed stairs

(29 CFR 1910.24 Walking-Working Surfaces)

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

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Slip/Fall Did Not Fall

• Huh????

How can you get hurt by slipping and not falling?

• Muscle strains/sprains from reaction to imbalance. (Whiplash type injuries)

• Hitting a body part on an object when losing balance

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

Slip/Fall Ice or Snow• Zero static friction to

allow for traction• Poorly designed

footwear• Poorly maintained

parking lots & Walkways

• Hazardous Situation can build up very quickly

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

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Slip/Fall, Ladder/Scaffold

• Using the wrong ladder or inappropriate scaffolding

• Ladder/scaffold not secure

• Reaching• Slippery ladder/scaffold

surface• Not using two hands

when climbing ladder• Standing on top or next to

top “rung”

Slip/Fall, Ladder/Scaffold

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

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Slip/Fall Same Level

• Tripping over uneven surfaces

• Stepping down “wrong” on foot or rolling the ankle

• Tripping over obstructions in the work area

• Inappropriate footwear

• Slippery surface characteristics

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Statistics on Slips, Trips, Falls

WCF Policyholders for Calendar Year 2008

Slip/Trip/Fall NOC

• All causes mentioned before and more!

• Poor housekeeping

• Inadequate footwear

• Human error

• Slippery surfaces (icy, smooth, wet, or greasy etc)

• Many more…

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Prevention of Slip/Trip/Falls

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Prevention

• Prevention of slippery surfaces

• Use of appropriate footwear

• Prevention of tripping hazards and uneven surfaces- AKA: SAFE HOUSEKEEPING!!

• Employee awareness and training

Prevention of Slippery Surfaces

• Inspect workplace for potentially slippery surfaces

• Measure the “slipperiness” of walking surfaces

• Replace slippery surfaces with non-slip ones

• Apply a non-slip coating to slippery surfaces

• Adhere to a strict housekeeping policy with respect to cleaning up fluids/liquids/greases

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Prevention of Slippery SurfacesIce or Snow

• Adhere to strict maintenance of walk ways which may accumulate snow or ice.

• Slip on Leaves

• Lighting

• Check gutters and run offs

Electric Heated Mats

Heated Stair Risers

www.heattrak.com

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For Inclement Weather

– Slow down to react to a change in traction

– Wearing slip-resistant shoes or overshoes• carry your work shoes

– Sunglasses • outdoors in ice and snow

– Treat walking surfaces

– Wet shoes on dry floors – Caution !

Measuring SurfacesCoefficient of Friction (COF)

1.0

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6 Threshold

0.5 of Safety

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0.0

Increasing Safety

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The Slip Meter

• Instrument for measuring the coefficient of friction of a surface.

Floor Types

• Wood = ~ 0.15 COF

• Laminate = ~ 0.25 COF

• Concrete = ~ 0.23 COF

• Carpet (High Pile) = ~ 1.06 COF

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Replace or Coat?

• Consider cost – not only the cost of materials, but the cost of injuries from not acting!

• Some coating materials claim to be slip resistant and are not as effective as claimed.

• How long will the coating last as opposed to replacing the surface.

Anti-Slip Treatments

http://www.stone-network.com/anti-slip-treatments.html

Provides a list of companies providing anti-slip treatments for floors.

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www.stone-network.com/anti-slip-treatments.html

Slip Resistant Surfaces

www.3m.com

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Prevention – Signage & Cleaning

• If signs are left out people will ignore them and the signs will

lose its effectiveness Clean Spills ASAP• A safety warning sign is never enough to control a danger

• Clean during less busy hours

• Physically exclude people if necessary

• Leave a clear path when cleaning

• Improper Cleaning may worsen cond.

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Warning Signs Should

• Be at least 28” high and visible 360 degrees

• Should have Large Stable Base

• Be easily stored for employees to locate

• Employees should be trained on the proper use of signs and to remove them promptly when the hazard is eliminated

Prevention withUse of Appropriate Footwear

• Have a shoe policy in place if necessary

• Ensure employees wear appropriate footwear

• Slip resistant shoes are very effective for wet or greasy surfaces

• Ice grippers for employees working in snowy/ icy conditions

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Is This Appropriate Footwear?

www.shoesforcrews.com

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1415

20

58,334

166,985

257,622

63,157

84,688

-

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

07/01/03-06/30/04 07/01/04-06/30/05 07/01/05-06/30/06 07/01/06-06/30/07 07/01/07-05/19/08

Period

Cla

ims

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

Cla

ims

Co

st

WCF Policyholder (Name Withheld)Slip/Fall Injury Claims Trend

Implementation of more aggressive safety awareness program

Implementation of slip resistant shoe program

7 of 15 (47%) were Slips on Ice/Snow (whereas previous year it was only 2 out of 14)

www.srmax.com

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Prevention of Tripping Hazards

• Housekeeping Policy & Program which includes regularly scheduled housekeeping inspections– Grind down uneven surfaces– Repair pot holes in walkways and parking lots– Maintain clear walkways– Ensure cords, hoses and other items are stored

properly out of the work areas– Organize work tools, equipment and workflow to

ensure no tripping hazards are introduced

Prevention of Tripping Hazards

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Housekeeping Policy/Program

• Inspection checklists• Responsibility and Follow-up• Accident Investigation

REMEMBER!! A well organized, well kept work place is also more efficient and will have less down time, less injuries relating to housekeeping, and will in general have happier employees.

What can YOU do to avoid slipping at work?

• Take your time

• Pay attention

• Adjust stride to the task

• Walk with feet pointed slightly outward

• Make wide turns at corners.

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What can YOU do to avoid tripping at work?

• Sufficient lighting

• Portable lighting

• Watch where you are walking

• Carrying or pushing objects– obstructions, spills or objects lying on the floor

Employee Awareness & Training

• Employees should be responsible for their own work areas.

• Employees should be able to recognize a slip/trip/fall hazard specific to their work environment.

• Employees should be held accountable for wearing appropriate footwear and following company safety policies.

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OSHA Regulations Relating to Slip/Trip/Fall Injury Prevention

General Industry• 1910 Subpart D - Walking-Working Surfaces

– 1910.21 - Definitions.– 1910.22 - General requirements.– 1910.23 - Guarding floor and wall openings and holes.– 1910.24 - Fixed industrial stairs.– 1910.25 - Portable wood ladders.– 1910.26 - Portable metal ladders.– 1910.27 - Fixed ladders.– 1910.28 - Safety requirements for scaffolding.– 1910.29 - Manually propelled mobile ladder stands and

scaffolds (towers).– 1910.30 - Other working surfaces.

OSHA Regulations Relating to Slip/Trip/Fall Injury Prevention

Construction

• 1926 Subpart C – General Safety & Health Provisions

• 1926 Subpart L – Scaffolds

• 1926 Subpart M – Fall Protection

• 1926 Subpart X – Ladders

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Additional Resources

• www.osha.gov

• http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d000001-d000100/d000006/d000006.html

• http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html

• www.wcfgroup.com

Questions/Comments?

Thank You!!