Slips

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Mon 22 Dec 2008

Slips, Trips and Falls

Posted by Allan under Compliance , Employee Safety , Home Safety , OSHA , Safety , Slips , Slips Trips and Falls , Standards
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Potential Hazard  

 

 

Employee exposure to wet floors or spills and clutter that can lead to slips/trips/falls and other possible injuries.

  

Possible Solutions  

  • Keep floors clean and dry [29 CFR 1910.22(a)(2)]. In addition to being a slip hazard, continually wet surfaces promote the growth of mold, fungi, and bacteria, that can cause infections.
  • Provide warning signs for wet floor areas [29 CFR 1910.145(c)(2)].
  • Where wet processes are used, maintain drainage and provide false floors, platforms, mats, or other dry standing places where practicable, or provide appropriate waterproof footgear [29 CFR 1910.141(a)(3)(ii)].
  • Walking/Working Surfaces Standard requires [29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1)]: Keep all places of employment clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition.
  • Keep aisles and passageways clear and in good repair, with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard [29 CFR 1910.22(b)(1)]. Provide floor plugs for equipment, so power cords need not run across pathways.
  • Keep exits free from obstruction. Access to exits must remain clear of obstructions at all times [29 CFR 1910.36(b)(4)].

Other Recommended Good Work Practices:

  • Ensure spills are reported and cleaned up immediately.
  • Use no-skid waxes and surfaces coated with grit to create non-slip surfaces in slippery areas such as toilet and shower areas.
  • Use waterproof footgear to decrease slip/fall hazards.
  • Use only properly maintained ladders to reach items. Do not use stools, chairs, or boxes as substitutes for ladders.
  • Re-lay or stretch carpets that bulge or have become bunched to prevent tripping hazards.
  • Aisles and passageways should be sufficiently wide for easy movement and should be kept clear at all times. Temporary electrical cords that cross aisles should be taped or anchored to the floor.
  • Eliminate cluttered or obstructed work areas.
  • Nurses station countertops or medication carts should be free of sharp, square corners.
  • Use prudent housekeeping procedures such as cleaning only one side of a passageway at a time, and provide good lighting for all halls and stairwells, to help reduce accidents.
  • Provide adequate lighting especially during night hours. You can use flashlights or low-level lighting when entering patient rooms.
  • Instruct workers to use the handrail on stairs, to avoid undue speed, and to maintain an unobstructed view of the stairs ahead of them even if that means requesting help to manage a bulky load.
  • Eliminate uneven floor surfaces.
  • Promote safe work in cramped working spaces. Avoid awkward positions, and use equipment that makes lifts less awkward.

 
 

Tue 11 Nov 2008

Making Your Home Safe

Posted by Allan under Employee Safety , Fire Safety , Home Safety , Home Safety Council , Poison , Safety , Slips
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The statistics are in and again the safest place to be is at work.  The number of lost workdays and recordables are decreasing.  The number or significant worker injuries and deaths are slightly higher.

The real increases are coming in 2 areas, on-the-road vehicle incidents and at home.  I have talked about vehicle safety previously, so let’s talk a little about home safety.

The Home Safety Council has a wonderful checklist which, you can share with your employees.

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Wed 1 Oct 2008

Slips, Trips and Falls

Posted by Allan under & Falls , Compliance , Employee Safety , OSHA , Policies & Procedures , Safety , Safety Culture , Slips , Trips
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Slips Trips and Falls2.pngI recently attended the 20th Chicagoland Safety and Health Conference.  During the day I asked as many safety professionals as possible what was the #1 incident on their OSHA 300 log.  To a person the response was Slips, Trips and Falls (STF).  Because this is one of the most common incidents I thought it would be good to revisit an old article published on this site about 2 years ago.  I hope you find this interesting and useful.

Employees don’t just slip and fall because they are careless. Hidden risks exist at all work sites.  Slips and falls are complex events. If you focus on just one part of the problem, such as a cracked tile or slippery floor, the risk will still exist. Instead, attack the whole problem with a systems approach that analyzes your organization and pinpoints areas needing attention.
Taking Control
Same-level slips and falls are the second-leading cause of disabling workplace injuries. They cost private industry more than $5 billion in direct costs alone each year. The indirect costs for hiring and training replacement workers, increased absenteeism, and decreased productivity are estimated to be three to five times higher. But slips and falls are not unavoidable “acts of God” due to employee carelessness or bad luck. You can control them. Here’s how.Same-level slips and falls are the second-leading cause of disabling workplace injuries. They cost private industry more than $5 billion in direct costs alone each year. The indirect costs for hiring and training replacement workers, increased absenteeism, and decreased productivity are estimated to be three to five times higher. But slips and falls are not unavoidable “acts of God” due to employee carelessness or bad luck. You can control them. Here’s how.First, secure management buy-in. Employees don’t just slip and fall because they are careless. Hidden risks exist at all work sites. You can demonstrate to managers the cost and the cause of slip-related injuries with photos of potential hazards, qualified worker observations, and slipperiness measurements from work sites. Managers often don’t realize that a leading portion of their loss comes from preventable slips and falls; by illustrating the negative impact on the bottom line and the potential positive outcome from a system approach, you will get management buy-in.

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