In the workplace, slips, trips and fall hazards put workers’ safety at risk and cost employers nearly $70 billion a year in workers’ compensation claims, regulatory fines, productivity, and other administrative expenses. Organizations that take proper safety precautions can keep workers safe and facilities in compliance with OSHA regulations. Learn more about measures to take to help prevent injuries before they occur.
Slips, trips, and falls continue to be one of the biggest problems in the workplace every year. Falls are included in the OSHA Construction Focus Four, and are typically one of the most cited violations yearly. There are two different categories of falls:
A common misconception is that falls from a lower height aren’t very serious. Statistics actually show that falls from below 10’ are most common and cause serious injuries.
HOUSEKEEPING
Good housekeeping is the best way to prevent slips, trips, and falls in the workplace. Many accidents are the result of poor organization and housekeeping where employees or pedestrians to not have a clear path to walk.
• Make sure all walkways are free of debris and obstruction.
• Clean spills of any kind immediately. If you see a spill on the floor, clean it up, don’t ignore it.
• Salt icy walkways and place caution signs anywhere that a surface is slippery.
• Clean up work areas and put away all equipment at the end of the work shift.
• Keep walking surfaces in proper shape (no cracks, holes, dips, etc.).
FALL PREVENTION TECHNIQUES
There are many techniques that can be used to prevent any of these accidents in the workplace.
• Mark all edges with a high visibility paint or tape
• Wear non-slip shoes if continuously working on a slippery surface
• Place guardrails around all elevated surfaces and edges
• Place warning lines a couple feet before edges
• Have marked walkways for foot traffic only
• Use fall prevention and fall arrest systems
