Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls Did you know that slips, trips and falls are second only to automobile accidents in causing personal injury? On stairways alone, falls result in almost two million disabling injuries yearly. There are thousands more minor injuries caused by slips, trips, and falls each year. Most alarming of all is the fact that industrial falls cause over 1,000 deaths each year. Slips occur when there is too little friction between a person’s feet and the walking surface. Many factors can cause a slip. Ice, oil, water, cleaning fluids, and other slippery substances are probably the most...

Slips, Trips and Falls Slips and falls are a leading cause of workplace injuries. What do experts recommend as the single most important step to take in preventing slips and falls? Simple…keep floors clean, dry, and free of obstruction. When it comes to safeguards against slips and falls, nothing is more important than good housekeeping. When you walk through a work area, look for spills, grease spots or dust (flour and machine byproducts can be highly slippery). Water spilled by drinking fountains or tracked in on wet or snowy days can create a major hazard. Look around and be aware...

Slips, Trips and Falls Safety Manual Program

Table of Contents

  1. Higher risk areas
  2. Inspections
  3. Hazard control measures
  4.  Slip-resistant footwear
  5. Floor maintenance procedures
  6. Training
  7. General housekeeping / safe work practices
  8. Floor maintenance procedures
  9. Recordkeeping
  10. Slip, trip and fall hazards –checklist
  11. Others
  12. Building perimeter / stairways/special areas
  13. Design guidlines
  14. Handrails
  15. Stairways
  16. Ramps
  17. Loading dock
  18. Lighting

Watch Your Step!! Don’t Slip & Fall Slips and falls are one of the most frequent causes of accidents, both on and off the job. Each year in the United States, more than 300,000 people suffer disabling injuries from falls. Slips and falls can be fatal as well; they rank second only to automobile accidents, causing nearly 12,000 deaths a year. To avoid getting hurt from falls, avoid rushing and remember the following: WATCH WHERE YOU WALK Be aware of where you are walking. Look down continuously for spilled liquids, materials, equipment, changing surface levels, etc. Make sure the area...

Dairy Worker Safety If you work with dairy animals or work in and around dairy operations, make sure you’ve been trained to recognize potential hazards and prevent possible injuries or illnesses. Get training on specific safe work practices for each task, material, and equipment. Know what personal protective equipment (PPE) you should wear for certain jobs and what safety precautions to follow when handling chemicals or when in areas of hazardous atmospheres. Most dairy worker injuries include strains and sprains, fractured bones, slips, trips, and falls, and animal-related illnesses. When disturbed, cows and bulls can move quickly with lots of...

Childcare Worker Safety Workers in childcare facilities educate and care for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. Childcare may not seem like a hazardous occupation, but every workplace has hazards and risks. Childcare workers should pay attention to their own safety while they nurture children. Use good ergonomics to reduce the risk of strain or sprain injuries. To protect your back, try to find ways to reduce lifting like using steps up to the changing table, sink, or fountain. To comfort a child, kneel down to their level instead of bending over toward them or lifting them. Avoid bending or hunching...

Shop Safety Checklist The following are common, important safety guidelines to remember when working in the shop environmen. Follow this shop safety checklist: Under no circumstances should unapproved people be allowed to use the shop equipment. Do not allow unauthorized persons to visit or loiter in the shop. Secure the shop when no one is present. It goes without saying that you should never leave a machine in operation while it is unattended. Check emergency equipment such as first aid kits, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and eye wash stations monthly. Periodically check all hand tools, portable power tools and larger...

Painter Safety (2) A painter applies coatings and paint to interior and exterior building surfaces with a variety of job sites, chemical use, and physical and ergonomic demands. A lot of painting work is done from heights. Inspect ladders daily, set them properly, and work from ladders safely. Make sure a qualified person properly installed your scaffolding. Do not use makeshift ladders or scaffolds that could fail and cause a fall. Know when to use fall protection and how to use it properly. Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to learn about the chemicals in paints and surface preparation materials...

Office Safety – It Only Takes a Minute Yes – even working in an office can have its own hazards. Often we think about how dangerous it is to drive a truck, sandblast a building, removing asbestos, but even people who work in offices can get hurt. Let’s review some of the situations that increase exposure to injury and what we can do about them: Watch where you are going. Avoid walking and reading at the same time. If it is important enough to read, then stop and read it. Trips, slips and falls can be hazardous. Close that file...

Plumbing Safety A plumber installs, repairs, and maintains plumbing fixtures or systems in businesses, industries, or residences. The job may include installation and repair of pipes, fittings, and fixtures servicing the water supply, waste disposal, and heating systems. Plumbers must also haul supplies, cut, and assemble plumbing materials, and use equipment and tools. Plumbing is a simple name for a job that has a wide variety of duties. Chemical and material exposures are common for plumbers, so get training on the potential hazards at the job sites that you are assigned. Find out if your jobsite has asbestos, lead paint,...