Proactive Steps to Identify and Reduce Slips, Trips and Falls
Proactively identifying and addressing the causes of slips, trips, and falls reduces injuries, prevents financial losses and fosters a culture of safety.
- By Dan Ankney
- Sep 10, 2024
In any workplace environment — whether a storefront, manufacturing plant, or loading dock — the risk of slips, trips and falls is a constant concern. These incidents can lead to injury, loss in production and costly fines. Reducing these risks requires not only constant vigilance but also proactively putting measures in place to address them. With a proactive mindset, organizations can foster safer working environments, prevent injuries and develop a culture of responsibility.
Slips, trips and falls at the entrances and customer-facing areas are top concerns for many EHS members. However, “back of house” operations — where leaks and spills are common — also raise significant safety concerns for the employees. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips, trips and falls are the third most common type of workplace injury behind overexertion and bodily reaction as well as contact with objects and equipment. This high occurrence of incidences results in substantial financial loss. Fines from OSHA, workers’ compensation claims and lost work time/production can all result from an injury.
- The maximum OSHA fine for a serious violation is $15,625 per offense.
- The average workers’ compensation claims for a slip, trip or fall incident can be as high as $50,000.
- Indirect costs like reduced productivity or lost work time can also be associated.
Let’s identify the top two contributors to slips, trips, and falls and discuss the most common causes of these hazards, how to identify them, and the proactive measures organizations can take to overcome them.
Wet or Slippery Surfaces
Wet or slippery surfaces are one of the most common contributors to slip injuries. Common causes of this hazard can include accidental spills, leaking/spraying equipment, rain/snow events or improperly maintained textured walkway surfaces. During your routine inspections, there are several considerations to help identify these problems early and implement solutions before an incident occurs.
- Accidental spills. Accidental spills can happen anywhere, and it’s almost impossible to predict when they will occur. However, by identifying possible contributors to accidental spills, solutions can be placed in proximity to these areas. These cleanup measures within close proximity to the spill will allow for quicker response. The best way to identify these potential hazards is to observe where fluid is stored or dispensed. At these locations, spill cleanup materials like spill kits and absorbents should be readily available and visible for easy deployment.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.