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Topic 60: Discuss the Prevention of Slips, Trips and fall in the work place.

victor.adukwu's picture

Slips, trips and fall are the most common cause of injury at work. On average, they cause 40 per cent of all reported major injuries and can also lead to other types of serious accidents, for example falls from height. Slips and trips are also the most reported injury to members of the public.

Comments

Edwin Lawrance's picture

Unattended small details in the construction, usually
becomes the reason for these accidents. Some of them are;

  1. uneven floor surfaces
  2. unsuitable floor coverings
  3. wet floors
  4. changes in levels
  5. trailing cables
  6. Poor lighting
  7. Poor housekeeping.

 

These accidents can harm the workers and even the
public, so it is the duty of the employer to avoid these accidents. Some of the
HSE recommended methods are; Use signs to tell the people that floor is uneven
or wet and clear this fault immediately. Avoid using cables across the
pedestrian routes. Provide suitable footwear according to the situation. If it
is difficult to prevent the floor from being wet, use mats or suitable remedies
to manage it. Improve the light facility. By following such small methods the
large loss in production and injuries caused due to slips and trips can be
avoided. Even if all of the solutions are practicable, due to the lack of
interest these accidents often happen. 

Fungisai N Nota's picture

 When working in the work environment to prevent the slip,
trips and falls is to have a clear and safe environment. This comes in many
ways the layout of the place the correct layout of cables and give and leaving
enough room for people to walk. There should be a more accident awareness if
one sees a risk they need to prevent it clear it or put up a sign rather than
leave it for someone to fall or slip before one can take action this should be
instilled in the company policies as well. If  a person comes into a clear and clean environment
it is hard for them to not leave it the same way they so it.

Fungisai Nota BEng(Hons) MIET

Emmanuel Mbata's picture

You are right, Slip trips and fall are the most common cause of work place injury. They are caused mainly as a result of unsafe conditions created by human e.g Wet and contaminated floors and also by poor house keeping. Tracking and correcting of these unsafe conditions like wet floors and spills can help in reducing the injuries caused by these hazards, and also having procedure in place for both routine and responsive cleaning. 

Looking out for trip hazards, such as uneven floors or trailing cables and encouraging good housekeeping by workers is a good way also to contain these hazards.

 

Catriona Ogg's picture

I agree that the employer is ultimately responsible for ensuring a safe working environment, but I also think that the employees themselves have a duty to report any safety issues they come across. As well as the previously mentioned methods for reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls (signs, routine cleaning, etc), there should also be a suitable reporting procedure in place as part of the health and safety guidelines so that any potential hazards can be relayed to the facility's supervisor and remedial action taken as soon as possible.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Agba A. Imbuo's picture


When accidents occur as a result of slip and trips at workplace, we tend to overlook the cause and tend to look at it as a normal occurrence.  This could lead to a serious injuries, death or permanent deformities as the case may be. To prevent slip, I will to highlight some issues that could lead to a potential slip and trip. These include:
•Wet flooring, uneven and curled floor surface
•Contamination by rain, grease, dust and debris from production
•Bad housekeeping
•Human factors which include
•Environmental issues like weather, lighting
•Footwear
Therefore it is important that measures are taken to prevent slips and trips in the workplace. These are:
•The floor should be kept clean and dry at all times and free from grease, dust, debris
•Suitable walkway and less obstruction for  free movement
•Workers should maintain a positive attitude towards health and safety.
•Loud and unfamiliar noise should be avoided
•Choose a slop- resistant footwear

AMBROSE AGBA SUBSEA ENGINEERING (51227054)

ikenna_ekekwe's picture

Slipping and tripping accidents happen everywhere and over a third of workplace injuries are caused by slips and falls. When they occur, they are often seen as funny or as being caused by the victim’s carelessness. However, in recent times some high-profile litigations seem to suggest that slip and trip injuries are no longer being accepted as the sorts of things “that just happen”. Managers often see no solution and there has been a tendency for health and safety specialists to concentrate on other areas of health and safety where they feel more comfortable.

 

Slips and trip can be prevented in the workplace by a number of ways among which include cleaning up of spills, complying with codes of safe working practices, regular safety meetings, inspections and trainings and ensuring proper stowage of stores and equipments.

 

Ekekwe Ikenna

51125083 

Derek Porter.'s picture

Ekekwe mentions the fact that trips and slips can be prevented by a number of measures.

I would like to introduce the measures currently used on most offshore structures. The pre shift (12 hours) meeting briefs all employees on the jobs in progress. A risk assessment of each job is carried out and signed by OIM (Offshore Installation Manager) every 12 hours. Appropriate hazard warnings and barriers constructed and job supervisor then signs jobs to commence. Throughout work in progress, STOP cards are used for other employees to identify risk and techniques used by other employees than may initiate accidents.
This system places responsibility on all levels of hierarchy with emphasise on other employees (not involved in the process) to also contribute to risk analysis. I my opinion this process very successful in removing risks, in fact, this process of far more advanced than that used by many businesses onshore.

Ref : Patrick Folan, Marine superintendant, Intermoor marine services.

Oghenekevwe Ovbije's picture

Slips and trips occur as a result of wet or contaminated underfoot condition and poor housekeeping. Mitigation of this form of accidents is cost effective and simple. The following can be used to control slips and trips

Slip risk controls
•Prevent and eliminate contamination from walkways.
•Maintain floor grip using proper cleaning methods.
•Increase floor surface roughness
•Avoid vulnerable pedestrians from slip risks.
•Train and inform employees
•Procedures for visitors should be set in place.
•Wearing suitable footwear
•Deal with any changes in walkway level.
•Training and supervision.

Trip risk control
•Good housekeeping systems and standards to prevent obstruction.
•Proper lightening systems should be put in place.
•Eliminate holes, slopes or uneven surfaces
•Establish a positive attitude that trips can be prevented
•Train and inform employees.

ikenna_ekekwe's picture

While I agree with you, I would like to add that slips, trips and falls can be prevented through safety in engineering design. The following considerations if made during the design stage of any facility can greatly help to reduce the occurrence of accidents caused by slips, trips and falls:

- Adequate handrails built into systems

- Anti-slip surfaces

- High coefficient of friction treads for ladders

- Control panels and displays at ground level instead of heights

- Ladders and access points positioned away from edges

- Uniform stair riser heights

- Personal fall arrest systems

- Sensors and controls placed outside equipment

- Zero unguarded openings

- Walkthrough of escape routes

- Better barrier arrangements

 

Ekekwe Ikenna

51125083 

Thomas Ighodalo's picture

you made a valid point, the first and likely the most inexpensive point
to guard against slip, trips or falls is from the design phase,it is at
the phase every safety measure can be put in place to prevent future
occurence, a typical example is Chevron saftey in design which gives
guidelines on to guard agaisnst such occurence by designing positively
to prevent it.

 

the first step in solving a problem is identify the root cause,I will start by defining the key terms

Slips: An act of sliding unintentionally for a short
distance.[1]

Trip: To Catch one's foot on something and stumble or
fall.[1]

Fall: Move downward, typically rapidly and freely without
control, from a higher to a lower level.[1]

Workplace: A workplace is
the location at which an employee provides work for an employer.[2 ]examples
are offices, factories, clubs etc

although the act itself might appear
trivial but the overall impact of slips, trips and falls can not be overlooked.
In Canada some sixty thousand workers get injured annually due to fall
accidents. This number represents about fifteen percent of the "time-loss
injuries" that were accepted by workers' compensation boards or
commissions across Canada. Not mentioning a great economical loss, it amounts
for a lot of pain and suffering and sometimes (much too often) even death. [3 ]

Problem

Definition
/causes

Common
causes

Solution

slips

Slips
happen where there is too little friction or traction between the footwear
and the walking surface.

  • wet or oily surfaces
  • occasional spills
  • weather hazards
  • loose, unanchored rugs or mats
  • flooring or other walking surfaces that do not have
    same degree of traction in all areas

·        
Safety in design

·        
Adequate procedures in place i.e. “You see  and own it”, “stop work activity”, safety
talks during

·        
tool box meetings

·        
Housekeeping

trips

Trips
happen when your foot collides (strikes, hits) an object causing you to lose
the balance and, eventually fall.

 

  • obstructed view
  • poor lighting
  • clutter in your way
  • wrinkled carpeting
  • uncovered cables
  • bottom drawers not being closed
  • uneven (steps, thresholds) walking surfaces

·        
Safety in design

·        
Adequate procedures in place i.e. “You see  and own it”, “stop work activity”, safety
talks during

·        
tool box meetings

·        
Housekeeping

falls

Move
downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a
lower level.[1]. Two types exist falling on the same level and falling from
one level to a lower level

Causes
of falls depend on type of work place and the type of work being carried out

·        
Safety in design

·        
Adequate procedures in place i.e. “You see  and own it”, “stop work activity”, safety
talks during

·        
tool box meetings

·        
Lack of
protective devices such as guard rails, safety harnesses.

·        
Misuse of
equipment

·        
Housekeeping

 

References

1.    
www.dictionary.com

2.    
http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryw/g/workplace.htm

3.    
 http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html

 

 

 

"Everything we hear is an opinion not a fact"

Thomas Ighodalo's picture

Safety In design

you made a valid point, the first and likely the most inexpensive point to guard against slip, trips or falls is from the design phase,it is at the phase every safety measure can be put in place to prevent future occurence, a typical example is Chevron saftey in design which gives guidelines on to guard agaisnst such occurence by designing positively to prevent it.

the first step in solving a problem is identify the root cause,I will start by defining the key terms

Slips: An act of sliding unintentionally for a short distance.[1]

Trip: To Catch one's foot on something and stumble or fall.[1]

Fall: Move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level.[1]

Workplace: A workplace is the location at which an employee provides work for an employer.[2 ]examples are offices, factories, clubs etc

although the act itself might appear trivial but the overall impact of slips, trips and falls can not be overlooked. In Canada some sixty thousand workers get injured annually due to fall accidents. This number represents about fifteen percent of the "time-loss injuries" that were accepted by workers' compensation boards or commissions across Canada. Not mentioning a great economical loss, it amounts for a lot of pain and suffering and sometimes (much too often) even death. [3 ]

Problem

slips

Slips happen where there is too little friction or traction between the footwear and the walking surface.

Common Causes

 

  • wet or oily surfaces
  • occasional spills
  • weather hazards
  • loose, unanchored rugs or mats
  • flooring or other walking surfaces that do not have
    same degree of traction in all areas

·       

Solution

Safety in design

·        
Adequate procedures in place i.e. “You see  and own it”, “stop work activity”, safety talks during tool box meetings

Housekeeping

Problem

Definition

 

trips

Trips happen when your foot collides (strikes, hits) an object causing you to lose the balance and, eventually fall.

  Common causes

 

  • obstructed view
  • poor lighting
  • clutter in your way
  • wrinkled carpeting
  • uncovered cables
  • bottom drawers not being closed
  • uneven (steps, thresholds) walking surfaces

·        Solutions
Safety in design

·        
Adequate procedures in place i.e. “You see  and own it”, “stop work activity”, safetytalks during tool box meetings

·        
Housekeeping

Problem Definition

falls

Move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level.[1]. Two types exist falling on the same level and falling from one level to a lower level

Common Causes

 Causes of falls depend on type of work place and the type of work being carried out

Solution 

Safety in design

·        
Adequate procedures in place i.e. “You see  and own it”, “stop work activity”, safety
talks during
tool box meetings

 Lack of protective devices such as guard rails, safety harnesses.

 


Misuse of equipment

·        
Housekeeping

 

References

1.    
www.dictionary.com

2.    
http://humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryw/g/workplace.htm

3.    
 http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html

 

 

"Everything we hear is an opinion not a fact"

Savitha Haneef's picture

Savitha Haneef
MSC Safety & Reliability Engineering

Aleksandr Poljakov's picture

 

Completely agree with every one of you,
that is one of the most common accidents at work. Nature of the offshore
structures amplifies possible consequences for the slips, trips and falls,
where it can cause human fatalities. Using the right flooring materials,
signage, overall awareness and involvement of the people at work, can help to
prevent most of the incidents.

However, the biggest problem with the
accidents is that there is sometimes too much focus on the slip, trip and fall
accidents, and not enough on the safety strategy of the offshore installation. This
leads to the safety of the whole system and other equipment being neglected due
to main focus being trip and fall prevention. Reducing the number of slipps and
falls reports causes people to think that the working environment is safer,
while the safety of the system is neglected, and can lead to horrible accidents.
 

Aleksandr Poljakov, MSc Oil and Gas Engineering

 

Alabi Ochu Abdulraheem's picture

Slips trips and fall remain one of the top accident drivers in many industries. They are threats with great risk associated with them. Applying the Gait walking pattern can help reduce the risk posed by these threats. Gait is a walking style that describes the speed of travel, directional changes, pattern in which obstacles are crossed etc. It requires special training and practice for workers to effectively adopt.
A “slip and fall triangle” can be used to describe the risk components which include the footwear factors, floor factors and walking style factors representing the three sides of a triangle. The concept of this triangle is that reducing any side of the triangle makes the risk on the other two sides higher in magnitude but increasing any side of the triangle would reduce the risk associated with the other two sides of the triangle.
The compliance to standards is one way to reduce the risk associated with these threats. Example of these standards are ASTM 1637 (Practice for safe walking surfaces) and ANSI A1264.2 (Standard for the Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces). These standards cover the provision of slip resistance of surfaces as well as the design, construction and maintenance of the floor relating to slip and trip hazards.
Other ways of preventing slips, trips and falls includes: selecting the appropriate footwear for the task at hand; knowing what contaminant to expect at a particular domain and under what circumstances to expect them; proper and adequate cleaning; selection of flooring materials should be based on where it would be installed, how it would be used and what contaminants are expected.
Reference
1) Keith V, David M. N. “Avoiding 12 Common Mistakes in Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention” ASSE, Las Vegas, 2008
Name: Alabi Ochu Abdulraheem
Reg no: 51231595

victor.adukwu's picture

Good write up from Kevwe, Ikenna and the rest, just to add a little to the on-going. In addition to the following preventive measures of slips, trips and fall accident in work place;
• Maintain floor grip using proper cleaning methods.
• Increase floor surface roughness
• Avoid vulnerable pedestrians from slip risks.
• Train and inform employees
• Procedures for visitors should be set in place.
• Wearing suitable footwear
• Deal with any changes in walkway level.
• Training and supervision.
• Good housekeeping systems and standards to prevent obstruction.
• Proper lightening systems should be put in place.
• Eliminate holes, slopes or uneven surfaces
• Establish a positive attitude that trips can be prevented
• Train and inform employees.
Tests should be carried out by the Health and Safety Laboratory using pendulum coefficient of friction and surface micro-roughness measurement techniques to ascertain that the floor has a good slip resistance when dry and wet before an office work place can be commissioned.
In conclusion, the floor of work places like supermarket, public restaurant, filling stations etc should have good anti-slip particles to prevent any form of fall or trip when wet or dry.

Samuel Bamkefa's picture

The posts on this topic have been quite comprehensive. I will however like to add another thought to it.

Sometimes, the risk of slips, trips and falls may actually be as a result of a
secondary reason. In other words, employees will find it difficult to
comply with some measures if it will be hard to do so.

As an example, I once worked in an office that was located on the third floor.
Quite an number of slips and falls occured on the staricase becaus, a lot of employees were fond of not holding on to the railings, despite having signs all over the place. Reason: The railings
were always dusty. When the dustiness was addressed, there was a big change in the statistics.

My main point is that when management of an organisation requires its workers to comply with some safe practices, then it has to be able to make the conditions enabling enough for them to comply

Samuel Bamkefa

Joan.C.Isichei's picture

Hi Samuel, it is true that conditions need be okay, at least, for STF safety rules compliance. However,  the example you gave does not really pass this message across. Imagine if these same workers suffer from the fear of heights or had been on a 5th or higher floor were the risk of sustaining serious or fatal  injuries becomes higher, I believe they will hold on to those railings irrespective of their cleanliness. I think the issue of the workers choosing not to comply with the “holding to the railing” rule is  more of a HSE vs Stupidity thing(refer to Discussion Topic 25). 

Tianchi You's picture

I have been seen guys' comments on this issues and agree with ur ideas. In my opinion, if the slips happened on offshore platform, the trips happened in a workshop or a mechanic factory, the falls happened in a construction scaffold, they will result in horrible consequenses. I saw this incident really happened years ago, it was happened in the afternoon in a downtown centre. There were 2 workers working on the scaffold , but one fell down from the visual 20m height . Fortunately someone called the ambulance quickly and the man did not lose his life, probably his leg and back were injuried, hope it did not happen..

I have several ideas which may help to reduce the risk:

  • Wearing the anti-skidding shoes
  • Wearing the safety helmet
  • Cleaning the stuff on the ground which may become potential hazards
  • If the place is in offshore platform, then the safe boats should be prepared , also the long and strong ropes should be available
  • Emergency-education should be taught before work

Regards,

Tianchi You

51233959

Oil&gas engineering

ROHIT NAIR's picture

This is an interesting topic as the safety of the employees should
be highest priority of the employers. The HSE has laid down brief guidelines
the employers need to follow to ensure there is no casualty. The following are
the ones pertaining to Slipping and tripping accidents:

·     
The employers are required to
carry out risk assessment to find out the potential risks surrounding the
working environment.

·     
Spillages and leakages should
be fixed and mats should be used wherever possible

·     
The cleaning method followed
should be efficient and signboards should be placed to indicate wet floors etc.
Also appropriate detergents in the right concentration should be used

·     
Slip resistant foot wear should
be provided to employees as part of their PPE (personal protective equipment)

·     
Managing the flow of work and
employees is also important, as it will prevent crowding and other risk
implications.

Reference:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/

Rohit C Nair
Subsea Engineering
Student id- 51231896

Sineenat Kruennumjai's picture

Topic 60: Discuss the Prevention of Slips, Trips and fall in the work place

The injuries cause from falling down, slipping, and tripping are occurring every day. I think there are coming from two main causes, which are worker careless and unsafe-workplaces (wet floor, for example). In the case of workers careless, this issue can be mitigated by training in order to teach them how they can prevent falling down, slipping, and tripping. In the case of unsafe-workplaces, this issue can be solved housekeeping, such as cleaning all spills immediately, marking spills and wet areas, mopping debris from floors, removing obstacles from walkways, and so on. Finally, the injuries cause from falling down, slipping, and tripping can be reduce by doing ergonomics in order to improve workplace and safety. 

Source;  http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html
Posted By
Sineenat Kruennumjai
ID 51126536     

Thomas James Smith's picture

The issue seems to be around risk awareness, and people’s ability to identify surface conditions, unless there are some obvious signs (floor is wet so therefore potential slip hazard).  It is not only the responsibility of the employer to identify potential hazards with the surface but also that of the employee if they identify or come across a hazard.  

The Health and Safety at work act [1]

Section 2 defines the duties of the employer, one of those duties is ‘Provision and maintenance of a working environment for his employees that is, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe, without risks to health, and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work.’ Would cover the potential for slips and trips.. 

Section 7 defines the duties of employees, ‘Take reasonable care for the health and safety of him/herself and of other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work;’

Better house keeping, appropriate footwear, signs, and training personnel to identify potential hazards will go along way in reducing the potential for slips trips and falls within the working environment.

[1] Health and safety at work etc act 1974

sreehariprabhu's picture

There are many injuries happening in the industries due to tripping, slipping and falling. So it is very much important to control this since it will reduce the injury rate highly. The majority of these incidents happen due to poor house keeping. The walkways or steps which are not properly maintained will lead to many injuries on falling. The most important about these incidents are that they can prevented by following simple ways. A proper maintanence is all that is needed to solve these problems. It is also cost effective.

The methods which can be used are clean the floor surface regularly so that it has a proper grip, infrom workers if there is wet floor by keeping boards, make the walk way clear from any obstructions, wearing good pair of footwears and by giving proper training. It is also important that proper lighting system is provided so that the walkways are clearly visible.

Ryan Grekowicz's picture

While working on the North Slope of Alaska, the dangers of slipping were always discussed in daily safety meetings.  There was actually an incident where a worker slipped on the ice, hit his head, and was killed (despite wearing a hard hat).  Prior to that event, the use of traction devices which strap to the bottom of your boots was optional, but eventually the traction devices were made mandatory.  It was interesting, because after the traction devices  were made mandatory there were some unexpected consequences.

-  The devices would get caught in the metal grating on outside stair cases and platforms which created a trip hazard.

-  The devices would get caught up in the gas pedal or break pedal of vehicles.

-  Several people reported slipping more on the ice than they had previously without the traction devices because the traction devices gave them more confidence while walking on the ice, and resulted in them being less careful.

The point to this discussion is that quite frequently when an incident occurs, people rush to implement safeguards without really evaluating the potential risks that they might be introducing with a safeguard.

In my opinion, the best method for preventing slips/trips/falls is to  make sure that it's a topic which is discussed on a daily basis and that employees must be reminded to always maintain situational awareness and be "in the moment", because incidents tend to happen when people aren't focusing on their surroundings.

charlesggeorge's picture

Hi,

According
to data's more than one third of all major injuries are caused as a result of
slip or trip. A report by US Department of labor confirms that 15 percentage of
all accidental death per year is the second most death factor of the people in
US behind the accidents caused by motor vehicles. To minimize these type of
accidents , there should be a risk assessment should carried out to find out
the areas which may cause serious risk of slip, trip or fall in an work site or
other places. If we consider in an industry, there should be staff training and
should aware them about the risk involved in their work place. Some of the key
point that help a safer working environment is practicing good housekeeping, Reduce
wet or slippery surfaces, avoid creating obstacles in walkways, should have to create
and maintain proper lighting, wearing proper shoes and also the control of
individual behavior.

Charles George

Msc in Oil and Gas
Engineering 

 

http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/27549/Prevent-slips-trips-falls

http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/businessandenterprise/regulation/healthandsafety/...

 

 

Slips, trips and fall are some of the common workplace hazards. Number of injuries due to this is high. According to HSE it is over 10,000 per year. There are many ways by which we can prevent this type of risk. Most of the injuries are dur to the carelessness and ignoranceness. Employers should have effective management system, should be aware of all laws and regulations and proper risk assessments should be carried out. 

 

Workers should follow certain checklist. They should take initiative do clear any spillages, clear up spillages as soon as possible, Proper waste management, should mark all slops and changes in level, use sensible footwear. These are some of the points in the check list that should be taken cared. Flooring should be done according to the needs. 

 

Reference:

HSE 

Ahmed_Abdelkhalek's picture

Right on Derek,

STOP or observation/intervention card is a powerful tool, but if effectively implemented and maintained. Companies follow one of the two models below when implementing STOP cards;

Volunteer model: In this model employees are asked to volunteer in filling the stop cards. 

Quota model: In this model each employee has to put a defined number of stop cards in a defined period of time.

Personally I do not think that the quota model will yield realistic results and instead of increasing the employees’ sense of commitment to safety acts it will increase their commitment to filling-in those cards.

However I understand from some reading that there is no obvious choice, as both modes have proven to succeed at times and fail at others. It is important that the company chooses what best suites its employees and ensures their effective contribution. 

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Observation-Intervention-eg-STOP-Card-380...

Ahmed_Abdelkhalek's picture

Since we are discussing measures that can be taken to reduce/eliminate tripping, I would like to share this piece of information.

Some month ago I was involved in the engineering of an offshore platform and I got caught in a strong debate about a certain flooring detail that was thought to cause tripping. The detail had a 10 mm flat plate that is welded above the platform flooring plate.

With the height of the object (the plate) being as small as 10mm, everyone who was involved in the debate kept searching for an acceptance criteria for that height.

Luckily we found that the United States Department of Transportation performed a study that determined that when a person walks normally, their foot rises as low as 3/8 (~10mm) of an inch off the ground. Thus, any object sticking up 10mm or higher from the walking surface is classified as a tripping hazard. It was also concluded that any rise above 6mm from the walking surface need to be made by a transition so as not to trip people.

As for the 10mm plate its edges were ground to form a 1:4 that starts with 6mm thickness.

http://www.murphyassoc.net/Injury-Blog/2012/January/What-Constitutes-a-T...

Kyle McFarlane's picture

The most significant aspect of preventing slips, trips and falls is to ensure that everyone on site is aware of just how serious these relatively unimportant sounding incidents are.

This can be achieved using tool box talks or by stressing the point during risk register checks.  

Once everyone is aware of the problem and potential outcomes of slips trips and falls steps can be taken to prevent them.  Site order is very important, a clean site is a safer site, any spills of oil or other liquid must be barrierd off and removed as soon as safely possible. 

Equipment must not be left on the ground, especially near or on walkways and gantrys as this can lead to a high number of slips, trips and falls.

 Equipment should not be carried up or down stairs. It is important to have three points of contact on the stairs at all times.

 appropriate hand rails should be installed and floor systems should be monitored to ensure no disrepair or slippy surfaces are allowed to last without appropriate maintenace. 

These suggestions are only a few of the many steps it will take to prevent slips, trips and falls but it highlights just how serious and important it is that everyone fulfills their role in order to achieve a safer place to work.  

OKEKE FRANCIS's picture

Slips, trips and fall are common hazards in the work place. In 2011, it made up about one third of serious injuries suffered. In order to prevent his work place hazard, we must first understand how they occur and how to minimise or eliminate them because most times assumptions are being made on why they happen rather than looking for the true cause.

Some of the main causes of slips, trips and fall in the workplace include:  

 

  • wet or greasy floor
  • uneven floor surface
  • poor lighting
  • electric cords and cables
  • damaged ladder steps
  • poor house keeping
  • unsuitable floor covering
  • inappropriate foot wears

 

These highlighted hazards can be prevented by;

 

  • Reduction in wet and slippery surfaces, putting up "wet floor" signs where necessary, cleaning up spills immediately.
  • Visibility and lighting should be improved and floor markings put in place.
  • Electric cords must be well insulated and must not obstruct human path ways. Cables should be covered with guards where required.
  • Rugs and mats must be properly fixed making sure the edges doesn't pose a safety hazard.
  • Proper foot wears must be worn at all times. Emphasis should rest on the type of sole and kind of foot protection it offers.

ref: http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/workplace-hazards/falls.aspx

http://www.mb-hs.com/slips-trips-falls.htm

 

 

 

OKEKE FRANCIS
OIL AND GAS ENGR.

Ernest Appiah's picture

Both the employer and the
employee could play a part in the prevention of slips, trips and falls in the
work place. Employers should have risk assessment measures in place by having less
paper work but more practical measures such as thinking about possible risks
and putting in place suitable and effective control measures to prevent these
accidents from happening.

 

Some basic steps could be
taken to prevent slips, trips and fall in work place such as ensuring that spillages
are promptly cleaned and also keeping walkways and work areas free from any
obstructions. Personal protective equipment must also be provided for workers
in construction and other heavy industrial sites.

 

Working areas must be
clearly visible by the provision of appropriate lighting and must also be tidy
at all times. There is not a single way of preventing these accidents from
happening but by adhering to the simple practical steps could be prevented

This is a fundamental safety issue with a relatively easy remedy. I like this topic because of its broad nature and the fact that it can be applied to any discipline not just in engineering. Slippery surfaces are going to exist as long as there is a need to clean or the necessity to utilize otherwise slippery fluids. Therefore, I don't think the solution is avoiding the use of potentially slippery solutions s I hve read in the post.
The easy and ideal solution to prevent slips in the work place is by using and ensuring the necessary signs are in place whilst also making sure these signs are easily interpreted and well understood by everyone. In my opinion, this is the one true way to reduce slips in work places. Other remediation strategies while they may also help, they would still be ineffective if proper signs are not allocated to potentially slippery areas.
Kuma Mede
51126022

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Hello,

 

From a government issued statistic report (http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh0910.pdf)
the following figures were given: (2009/10)

Major accident due to falls, slips and trips: 41% equally
over 10,000 accidents

Minor accident lead to over 3 days absence from slips &
trips: 24% = over 22000 accidents

These figures alone show that the slip & trips issue is
huge within industries, cause a great safety issue for workers.

On top of this from an American source the compensation claim
from a slip or trip averages at around $19,000 or £11.875. This is a substantial
amount of money for any company and it is not including the loss of work.

The difficulty with preventing these accidents, people are
always going to trip. You place people on a perfectly flat bit on ground and
tell them to walk indefinitely, eventually they will trip. Safety of employees
is key within any business but it is near impossible to protect them from their
own clumsyness. However what can be prevented is having a situation where the cause
of the trip could be linked to the company.

This can be done in a number fo ways many of which have been
mentioned in this thread already.

OKEKE FRANCIS's list of causes and preventative
measure is excellent and covers all the major points.

To round up my thoughts, I feel that the majority of trips
and falls are from people not paying attention to their surroundings. Even if
there is a hazard good awareness would prevent a fall.

Any thoughts? Should people be more aware or should the
companies really have to go that extra mile to make up for them being unaware?

Thanks

Liam Slaven

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Kelvin Arazu's picture

Literally slip and trips are the most common cause of injury at work resulting to about 40% of all reported major injuries and can also lead to other types of serious accidents for example falls from height. Therefore slip is inevitably the most reported injury to members of the public.

The health, safety and regulations 1992 requires floors to be suitable, good condition and free from obstructions, so that people could move around safely.
Therefore to mitigate the impact of slip and fall in the work place as motioned by other scholars above I would recommend that the following practical steps are observed to prevent slips and trips accidents.

They include:    

1 Stop floors becoming contaminated: Use entrance matting, design task to minimise spillage, fix from machinery or building, and make sure plant and equipment are maintained.

2 Use the right cleaning methods

3 Consider the flooring and work environment: clear walk way, and make sure lighting is sufficient for visibility.

4 Get the right footwear

Manuel Maldonado's picture

 

Most of the accidents at work are related to tripping, slipping and falling. They are the consequence of different hazards present in the work site. There are different actions to be taken in order to prevent them from happening. However, the most important thing is to identify all those risks and put some actions to manage them. Therefore a risk assessment must be carried out by the employers with participation of most of the employees if possible or taken into account any surveys done in the work place aimed at finding out where the employees think those risks exists. Once the risk scenario has been identified along with every individual risk it is necessary to put some mitigation to improve the quality of the worksite either to eliminate the risks or to highlight the existence if there not possible to eliminate it.

There are some minimum actions to be taken in order to improve worksites and prevent those causes of injuries which can be achieved by:

  • Ensuring sources of floor contamination are not present such as leaks of equipment and activities to be carried out with minimum spillage.
  • Using right cleaning techniques and also the correct chemical for cleaning aiming at maintaining floors free of grease and dry.
  • Ensuring free or clear access and walkways by removing any objects creating a tripping hazard.
  • Providing enough lighting to ensure any steps of change of floor levels or physical obstacles are visible.
  • Ensuring the e the right foot wear is provided with the Personal Protection Equipment.
  • Providing mechanisms for reporting of hazards in the work place and encouraging employees to use them.
  • Taking action in all reported risks and ensure the conditions of the worksite is continuously improved.
  • Ensure employees follow minimum rules to create tripping or slipping risks affecting them or their co-workers.

Those risks are considered in the UK law: The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act), The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Akuromawaye Apiambo's picture

 
Slips, trips
and fall in the work place are common occurring incidence experienced and  make up the majority of general industry
accidents,

There are a variety of situations
that may cause slips, trips and falls such as

  •          Wet or greasy floors

  •         Dry floors with wood dust or powder

  •        Uneven walking surfaces

  •        Polished or freshly waxed floors 

  •         Loose flooring, carpeting or mats, just to mention few.

Here are some simple guidelines
to help you create a safer working environment in preventing “Slip/Trip/Fall”
hazard.

  • Create Good Housekeeping Practices

  • Reduce Wet or Slippery Surfaces

  • Avoid Creating Obstacles in Aisles and Walkway

  • Create and Maintain Proper Lighting

  • Wear Proper Shoes

  • Control Individual Behaviour like walking instead of
    running.

Reference:

Grainger, w.
(2012) Workplace Safety. [Online]. Available from: 
http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/27549/Prevent-slips-trips-falls [Accessed 05 December 2012].

Apiambo, Akuro

MSC SUBSEA ENGINEERING

VICTOR ETIM's picture

Excellence views, i enjoy the arguements but in nut shell i believe we need more than rules, sign notation, trainings and HSE penalties to avioid these accidents. My conclusion is drawn on that state of mind of the individuals at work place, their willingness to maintain a good safety culture in avoiding hazrds and accidents and possibly i suggest the there should be proper Job safety anlaysis prior to any sensitive operations like working on height, lifting, wielding and in confined space.

The management can regulate the amount of time an employee is exposed to potential hazards by appling routine shifts or job rotation to give time for rest, refresh and fitness of mindset of the workers and these can help to mitigate or elimate slip, trips and falls at all levels of operations.

VICTOR ITA
ETIM

51126236.
OGE.

 

Richard Milne's picture

Hi all,

You have all made some good points about slips trips and falls, even though it is a limited subject and there is some repetition.

Along with the hazards mentioned for slips trips and falls, the usual slippy floors etc, there are also dangers nowadays with new(ish) technologies and peoples dependancies on their mobile phones. I even do this myself, where I am very close to bumping into a colleague because I am too busy trying to write a text message. It won't be long before I am met with someone coming the other way doing the same thing and we do bump into eachother! This kind of collision could cause a situation where we are all forced to sit on automatic chairs like in Wall.E!! 

Another type of collision is caused by having sharp corners in an office. Usually, people will take the shortest route, which means cutting the corner, 2 people doing this at the same time can cause a collision and injury. Architects etc should really try to mitigate this by either providing a view of what is coming, or by building curves which are easier to see around.

Slip, trips and fall as simple as it may seem is responsible for a large percentage of injuries and perphaps death. therefore it is very important to prevent it from occuring.

The prevention of slip, trip and fall starts at the design phase of a facility down to its operation

At the design phase, simple details such as surface level, lighting, floor covering and trailing cables must be taken into consideratio if trip and fall is to be minimal in a facility.

The rest of the duty of preventing slip, trip and fall lies with the operators who have the responsibility to put on the correct PPE required at all times. Also important is the need for proper house keeping and immediate isolation and cleaning off of oil, water or other liquid spills as soon as they occur.

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