Every year, a significant number of people experience unexpected accidents such as slips, trips, and falls in various locations, from homes to public areas and workplaces. While they may not have the severe consequences and high costs associated with incidents like crane accidents, slips, trips, and falls are among the most common causes of workplace accidents and injuries, which can result in serious harm and significant financial losses. However, individuals should be able to move comfortably and safely in their workspaces. The solution to overcoming slip and trip hazards lies in understanding the factors that lead to these accidents and taking appropriate measures.
In our article, we aim to explain the causes and effects of slip, trip, and fall hazards and how to prevent them while emphasizing our shared responsibility in assessing these slip and trip hazards.
What are Slips, Trips, and Falls?
In a workplace, the terms ‘slips,’ ‘trips,’ and ‘falls’ are often used interchangeably, but they actually describe different actions that can lead to various types of injuries for employees, such as sprains, strains, cuts, fractures, and even fatalities. To define slips, trips, and falls in their most basic forms:
Slips
Slips occur when there is minimal or no traction between the shoe and the walking surface. It happens when the friction cannot keep the feet firmly in place, causing a person to lose balance.
Trips
Trips occur when a person’s foot contacts an object in its path or when stepping onto a lower, uneven surface. Tripping can disrupt a person’s balance and may lead to a fall.
Falls
Falls, which are the leading cause of death among construction workers, involve stumbling and losing balance, resulting in a person dropping to a lower level.
OSHA categorizes falls into two main classes:
- Same-level falls, which occur on the same working surface.
- Lower-level falls, which are more common among those working at heights.
Common Slips and Trips Hazards
Slips, trips, and falls can result in extremely serious and even fatal consequences. Below are some of the most common injuries associated with fall, slip and trip hazards:
- Sprains and strains – When a person tries to regain balance after slipping or tripping, they may stretch or strain their muscles or ligaments, often resulting in sprains or strains, particularly in the wrists, ankles, or knees.
- Fractures and cracks – Falling from a height or impacting a hard surface can lead to bone fractures or cracks. Wrists, hips, and ankles are especially vulnerable to fractures.
- Bruises and contusions – Colliding with the ground or objects during a fall can cause bruises and contusions. These injuries manifest as changes in skin color, pain, and swelling.
- Head injuries – Striking a hard surface with the head during a fall can result in traumatic brain injuries such as concussions, brain damage, loss of consciousness, or cognitive impairments in more severe cases.
- Cuts and tears – Contact with sharp or hard objects during a fall can lead to cuts and tears.
- Back and spinal cord injuries – Falling backward or experiencing falls involving strong impacts can result in spinal damage such as herniated discs, spinal fractures, or spinal cord injuries.
- Neck injuries – Neck injuries can occur when the spine is damaged, or muscles, ligaments, or tendons in the neck are injured due to a fall.
Causes and Risk Factors
Slips, trips, and falls can occur for various reasons, ranging from uneven work surfaces to working at heights. It is important to understand the causes of these incidents in order to assess risk factors and implement preventive measures.
Some factors contributing to slips, trips, and falls include:
Slips
- Wet spills such as water, mud, grease, oil, etc.
- Dry spills like dust, sawdust, granules, etc.
- Weather-related slip and trip hazards like ice, snow, etc.
- Unsecured, loose mats, carpets, etc.
- Smooth ceramic tile or marble floors.
- Newly polished surfaces related slip and trip hazards.
- Sloping or uneven walking surfaces.
- Inappropriate footwear.
- Ramps without slip-resistant surfaces.
- Metal surfaces.
- Climbing ladders.
Trips
- Cluttered floors.
- Restricted visibility.
- Inadequate lighting related slip and trip hazards.
- Wrinkled or curled carpets or mats.
- Exposed cables, hoses, or wires.
- Open drawers, cabinets, doors, etc.
- Poorly designed walkways.
- Unmarked steps or ramps.
- Missing floor tiles and bricks.
- Damaged steps related slip and trip hazards.
Falls
- Weak or damaged ladders.
- Carrying heavy objects.
- Lack of guardrails on scaffolds.
- Unprotected edges.
- Improperly placed ladders.
- Misused fall protection and height access equipment.
This list of reasons is comprehensive but not exhaustive. Depending on specific conditions or work environments, other factors may come into play. Therefore, conducting regular risk assessments is essential to identify and mitigate potential slip and trip hazards.
The Importance of Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls
The impact of slips, trips, and falls can vary widely, ranging from broken bones to sprains, serious head injuries to spinal cord injuries. Furthermore, these accidents not only result in physical injuries but can also have far-reaching consequences on an individual’s quality of life, ability to work, and mental well-being. For businesses, they can lead to productivity losses, downtime, and even serious legal consequences.
To prevent these slip and trip hazards, it is first necessary to understand them. These incidents can occur for a wide variety of reasons, such as wet or uneven surfaces, improper footwear, and cluttered work environments. Secondary factors, such as inadequate training or lack of awareness of one’s surroundings, can also contribute. Understanding the causes, effects, and preventive measures of slips, trips, and falls and effectively implementing them contribute to creating a safer working environment for both businesses and employees.
Tips for Preventing Slips and Trips Hazards
Many slip, trip, and fall incidents can be prevented by using the right safety measures and providing employee training. To stay safe from slips, trips, and falls, consider the following:
Adopt good housekeeping practices: Keeping the workplace clean is the first step in making it slip-resistant. Keep unused storage compartments like drawers and cabinets closed, ensure trash is disposed of in the proper receptacles, and avoid leaving cables, extension cords, and wires exposed.
Provide adequate lighting: Inadequately lit walkways can expose employees to tripping and falling hazards. Ensure that there is sufficient lighting in areas such as corridors, ramps, staircases, and exits.
Install safety signage: Safety signage plays a crucial role in preventing slips, trips, and falls. Use safety signs to warn people of hazardous areas and to ensure they stay safe.
Address identified hazards immediately or make corrections: To prevent accidents, promptly address identified slip and trip hazards. If a hazard cannot be immediately eliminated or corrected, ensure that it is clearly marked and that necessary warnings are provided.
Wear appropriate footwear: Providing employees with suitable footwear is essential. The right choice of shoes helps protect employees from slipping, tripping, and falling hazards.
Maintain and improve floor quality: The quality of walking and working surfaces is essential in preventing slip, trip, and fall incidents. Regularly inspect floors for cracks, holes, missing tiles, uneven surfaces, and other hazards that could cause tripping and falling. Invest in coatings that provide sufficient friction and reduce foot fatigue.
Implement safety plans and protocols: In high-risk work areas, a well-thought-out safety plan strengthens protection against falls. This plan includes a risk assessment for slips, trips, and falls, safety standards and practices, slip, trip, and fall training for field workers, and regular inspection and maintenance checks.
OSHA Regulations
In Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHA), there are general standards for walking and working surfaces such as passageways, storerooms, service, and work areas.
Some of the standards for safe working surfaces include:
- Keep the floors of work areas clean, orderly, and dry.
- Install an effective drainage system if work is conducted on wet surfaces.
- Remove surfaces from slip and trip hazards such as sharp objects, wear and tear, leaks, spills, snow, and ice.
- Provide safe access and egress to walking surfaces.
- Inspect working surfaces to ensure they are in good condition.
- Eliminate slip and trip hazards on the floor as soon as possible.
