Safety Tip of the Week – Slips, Trips, and Falls (2)

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Although we’ve seen it in the cartoons and in the movies a million times, not many people actually slip on banana peels. And while the results may produce a few chuckles in the theater, falls are nothing to laugh at. In fact, some estimates put the number of disabling injuries resulting from falls at over 30,000 per year. The number of deaths is close to 12,000 a year. About one in 10 of these deaths happen in the workplace.

There are various ways to suffer slips and falls while working. You can slip and lose your balance, you can trip over objects left improperly in your walkway, or you can simply fall from an elevated position above the ground. Most injuries resulting from falls aren’t caused by falls from overhead, as you might think. They are from falls at ground or floor level where we walk and work.

Maintain work areas to prevent slips, trips, and falls:

This is probably the most important thing you can do to prevent this type of accident. Housekeeping is the key to preventing slips, trips, and falls.

• Keep walkways, aisles, and stairs free of tools, materials, and other hazards.

• Clean up any leaks or spills on floors, stairs, entranceways, and loading docks promptly.

• Repair or report floor problems such as broken planks, missing tiles, etc.

• Block off and mark floor areas that are being cleaned or repaired.

• Keep cords, power cables, and air hoses out of walkways.

• Promptly place trash in proper containers.

• Keep drawers closed.

• Take precautions on stairs and dock edges.

• Report missing or broken stair rails and slippery or damaged treads.

• Walk, don’t run, on stairs. Hold onto stair rails while going up and down.

• Don’t jump on or off platforms and loading docks and stay away from edges.

• Don’t carry a load you can’t see over, especially on stairs or around dock edges.

  Falling is not enjoyable at all…It is painful!!!