Slips, trips, or falls cause almost 20 percent of all workplace injuries.
Slips and falls do not constitute a primary cause of fatal occupational injuries but represent the primary cause of lost days from work in the industries.
A study by Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 22% of slip/fall incidents resulted in more than 31 days away from work.
Nearly all slips or falls have one or more of these factors as a cause:
- substandard walking surfaces.
- surface contaminants.
- footwear.
- lighting condition.
We need to do our best to have a safe working environment, how we can do this? In very simple ways, one example is: Proper housekeeping and lighting of working and walking surfaces can prevent most slips, trips, and falls.
Sometimes surface contaminants can be very difficult to recognize as a hazard and once the hazard is noticed, must be cleaned up to prevent any risk of injury.
Wearing the proper footwear for current weather conditions, as well as the surfaces being traveled, is important to prevent slips, trips or falls, and reduce fatigue.
Incidents that can occur on walking and working surfaces – Trips, Slips, Falls:
Trips occur when an obstruction catches the worker’s foot and causes him or her to stumble forward. Tripping hazards include cords, equipment, uneven floor mats, and unseen or unexpected objects.
These tripping hazards should be picked up and put away after every use, and when they are in use be aware of the danger they could pose in a walkway, such as an electrical cord strung across a sidewalk.
Slips occur when an individual slides along smoothly causing a loss of balance. Slipping hazards include wet, icy, greasy, or soiled ground or floors.
People need to wear the proper foot apparel appropriate for the job, such as steel toed and slip resistant.
Use absorbents to clean up any spills, especially oily material, and corrosive materials.
Falls occur from an individual descending freely by the force of gravity. A fall can happen from low heights as ladders, large equipment, elevated walkways, ramps, or platforms. Falls may also occur into or through a hole. Most falls occur from heights less than 30 cm, so safety precautions need to be taken, even at lower heights.
Gather your team and discuss the subject of this toolbox talk by giving as well examples from your working environment. Always ask for feedback related to the discussed topic, ideas of improvement, lessons learned from past experiences.
Safety must be the first step of any activity, and a proper toolbox talk will help you to achieve it. Remember, the daily toolbox talks are the way to a free injuries workplace, don’t skip it.