Video: Slip & Trip Accidents
Slips, trips and falls account for a majority of general workplace accidents
Check out this video from ESH Safety News America for some common ways people fall in a variety of situations. The video is informative, and sometimes funny (see the shovel part), but the consequences of a slip & fall accident certainly are no laughing matter.
Falls cost people and companies
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, slips, trips and falls make up the majority of general industry accidents, which account for 15% of all accidental deaths, 25% of all injury claims, and 95 million lost work days annually. That’s 65% of the total of lost workdays. You can’t control whether people fall at work or not, but you can certainly add safety measures that can reduce the chances of a slip.
Ways to reduce slip and trip accidents in your operation
Enforce good housekeeping
Don’t allow spills to stay on the floor. Soak up oil or greasy waste, and instantly mop up liquid spills. Be sure you have absorbent powders and other cleaning agents on hand. Also, consider purchasing spill containment systems and liquid storage cabinets.
Don’t let your aisles become cluttered. Clutter can hide spills and cause fall hazards.
Remove or strictly control the use of cell phones
People walking in a warehouse or on a plant floor while texting or otherwise paying attention to their phone screen are asking for an accident (a slip, or worse, collision with an industrial vehicle).
Provide anti-slip mats or rough surface coatings wherever feasible and possible, but in particular in areas known for wet or oily conditions. Install carpet mats at entrances to reduce wet shoes entering an area where polished concrete can make them into ice skates.
Use anti-slip covers or surfaces on stairs, ladder rungs and handrails as appropriate.
Make sure workers wear appropriate footwear on your plant floor. Slippery, inadequate shoes are a major contributor to slip & fall accidents.
Be sure handrails are installed wherever possible. Use gates and other obstructions to slow the pace of walking in critical areas.
Train for success. Make sure people understand that running isn’t allowed on your floor, nor are other dangerous behaviors.
More information: the technicalities of the slip & fall accident.
Tags: industrial accident prevention, plant safety
Scott Stone is Cisco-Eagle's Vice President of Marketing with more than thirty years of experience in material handling, warehousing and industrial operations. His work is published in multiple industry journals an websites on a variety of warehousing topics. He writes about automation, warehousing, safety, manufacturing and other areas of concern for industrial operations and those who operate them.