Slip, trips and fall hazards. How to prevent?

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Slips Trips and fall hazard

Why to prevent Slip, trips and falls?

Most of the people do not give importance to Slips, Trips and fall in daily life. However, it is one of the major causes of someone’s injury as well as embarrassment.

According to statistics, 67% of falling accidents happen on the same level occur due to slips and trips.While just 39% of falling accidents are from heights. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), In the U.S. Over 17,000 people die annually because of slip, trip, and fall injury.

Slips trips and fall hazard
Slips trips and fall hazard
Slips trips and fall
Slips trips and fall hazard

What is a slip hazard?

If the ratio of fraction or traction between the walking surface and footwear is less. Slips occur. Some common causes of slips are:

  • Oily or wet surfaces
  • occasional spills
  • hazard related to weather, such as mud, etc.
  • Unanchored or loose rugs or mats
  • Walking surfaces having a different degree of traction
  • Unsuitable footwear

 Trips

When your foot collides, hit, or strike an object, you lose your balance. And as a result, trips occur. Trips can happen in any type of environment. Different causes of Trips are listed below.

  • Obstacles lying around in the walkway. For example, working tools or packaging materials, etc.
  • Due to poor lighting, you cannot see obstacles and there is a chance of trips.
  • Wrinkled or loose carpets and mats also cause trips.
  • Uncovered and trailing cables is another cause. Because every equipment operates on electricity, for this purpose the cable plugin is necessary.
  • Opened bottom drawers
  • Uneven flooring and walking surfaces such as steps, or thresholds

 Read Also : Home safety checklist- a complete guide

How to avoid Slips, trips and fall in workplace?

We can avoid falls due to slips and trips by adopting some precautions and  good safety program. As two main things involved slips, trips and fall. Those are footwear and Walking surface. Therefore, to avoid falling we use the following safety rules. 

Use 3 point safety rule

When you walk up and down steps use handrails, Always use your two hands or at least one hand for the handrails. Don’t let the handrails until your both feet are on the stairs. This is called 3 points rule.

  • Never put your hands on your pocket when walk up and down steps.
  • Never walk up and down steps with your both hands carrying some thing.

Housekeeping

Not only the cleaners are responsible for housekeeping but also you are. The effective housekeeping include ordering tools and material. Always keep work areas neat and orderly and free of waste materials. Effective housekeeping is an ongoing operation and need all workers to involve in it.

Good housekeeping reduces the chances of falls. It is one of the important factors because due it Slips and trips prevent. Therefore we suggest the following actions for good housekeeping.

  • Immediately mark and clean all spills and wet areas.
  • Use safety signs for wet areas.
  • Remove obstacles from the walkway and mope debris from the floor.
  • Close all cabinets and cover all cables.
  • Remove faulty switches and bulbs.

Flooring

Walking surface is another reason for slips, trips and fall. If it is not properly handled. Therefore replacing and re-coating of floors, mats installation, pressure-sensitive abrasive strips, and synthetic decking can improve safety and limit the risk of falling

 Footwear

Another reason for slips and trips is using unsuitable footwear at workplaces. Safety recommends anti-slip footwear for oily and wet surfaces. And it reduces the risk of falling.

Can you die from tripping and falling?

When the word fall is mentioned at workplace it means falling on the same level or falling from heights. Falling from heights is more dangerous and can cause serious injuries and fatalities, And we can control it by wearing safety harness.

While falling on the same level can cause rehabilitation, corrective surgery, mobility restrictions and other issues can occur from falling on a floor or path. Although rare Fatalities, can occur too. Between the years 2003 and 2015, Slips, trips and fall injuries killed 386 workers, According to Safe Work Australia.

A young boy from my small village was killed after falling on about 1 meter height from the stairs. It was sadly shocking for all of us.

Facts and stats

slips, trips and fall facts
slips, trips and fall facts