SLIP, TRIP & FALL PREVENTION
Injuries resulting from Slips, Trips & Falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits, the second leading cause of death in the workplace, and the second leading cause of days lost from work.
Understanding the causes of slips, trips & falls and how to prevent them is the subject of this section.
This section is designed to comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart D Walking & Working Surfaces.
Sections of this program include: (click on each button for more detail or use switch to open/close all)
SLIP HAZARDS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SLIP?
Slips can be caused by west surfaces, spills or weather hazards like ice and snow. Slips are more likely to occur when you hurry, run, or don't pay attention to where you are walking. Follow these safety precautions in order to avoid a slip:
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Practice safe walking skills. If you must walk on slippery or west surfaces, take short steps to keep your center of balance under you, and move slowly. Devices such as strap-on cleats can be fastened to shoes or boots for greater traction on ice.
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Clean up spills right away. Even minor spills can be very hazardous. Report spills or leaks of hazardous materials to ERT, EH&S, or Facilities immediately.
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Don't let grease accumulate on a shop floor around machinery.
PROPERLY CLEANED FLOORS HELP
Floors must be dry and free of protruding objects such as nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards. Use floor finishes properly so they don't leave a slippery surface. Many slip accidents are caused by improper cleaning methods. Some floor finishes may have additives that help increase traction. If you are mopping or cleaning, post signs or place barricades to warn others of a wet surface.
ADDED TRACTION FOR WET FLOORS
One way to avoid slips on frequently wet surfaces is to apply some type of abrasive that will increase traction. Epoxies and enamels that contain gritty compounds may be pained on floors. Adhesive-backed strips of skid-resistant material can be applied to some walking surfaces. Rubber mats can be used as a permanent or temporary solution to wet areas.
TRIP HAZARDS
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRIP?
Trips occur whenever your foot hits an object and you are moving with enough momentum to be thrown off balance. Remember these rules to avoid tripping:
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Make sure you can see where you are going. Carry only loads that you can see over.
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Don't run up or down stairs or jump from landing to landing. Use the handrails.
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Keep work areas well-lit. Report burnt out light bulbs.
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Keep your work area clean and don't clutter aisles or stairs. Store materials and tools properly.
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Arrange furniture so that it doesn't interfere with walkways or pedestrian traffic in your area.
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Keep extension or power tool cords out of walkways.
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Eliminate hazards due to loose footing on stairs, steps, and floors. Report loose carpeting, stair treads, hand rails, or floor tiles, and report broken pavement and floor boards.
FALL PROTECTION & PREVENTION
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FALL?
Falls occur whenever you move too far off your center of balance. Slips and trips often push you off your center of balance far enough to cause a fall, but there are many other ways to fall. Falls are also caused by makeshift ladders, misuse of ladders, accidents while climbing, and improper scaffolding use.
LADDER SAFETY
Most accident statistics suggest that working men and women in America abuse and misuse ladders in the workplace as a rule, rather than the exception; thereby contributing to the tens of thousands of injuries involving ladders that occur annually. While perhaps more commonly used in the construction trades, ladders are also used frequently in manufacturing and other workplace settings. OSHA studies have indicated that most ladder falls are from heights of more than 10 feet, occur during climbing, and usually involve portable (extension) ladders. The following outlines the key factors of ladder safety.
Ladder selection
Ladders may be fixed, portable extension or stepladders, and may be manufactured from wood, metal, plastic or fiberglass. They can be light, medium, heavy or extra-heavy-duty.
The materials from which ladders are constructed have advantages and disadvantages in weight, durability, flexibility, conductivity, and strength. The intended use of the ladder should determine the type purchased, and only American National Standard Institute (ANSI) approved ladders should be used. One major caution is that metal ladders should never be used in locations where the ladder or its user could come into contact with electricity.
Maintenance and inspection
Ladders should be inspected before use: check for cracks, loose rungs, slivers and sharp edges. Never paint ladders, as the paint can hide potentially dangerous conditions. Wooden ladders can be coated with linseed oil or an oil-based wood preservative to keep them from drying out and caking. Allow ladders to dry thoroughly before using them or the rungs may be slippery. The rungs and siderails of ladders must be kept free of oil, grease and mud, etc.
Carrying and moving ladders
When physically moving a ladder, it should first be determined whether or not the ladder is too long or heavy to be moved alone. If so, help should be obtained in moving the ladder. Prior to making the move the area should be surveyed to check for obstructions, including overhead power lines, etc. Ladders should be carried horizontally rather than vertically. When moving a ladder to a new location after it has been positioned vertically, it should be taken down and set up at the new location. Once vertical, a ladder can only be moved horizontally if it is a lightweight ladder or under eight feet tall.
Ladder set up
Ladders should be set at, or as near as, a 4:1 angle as possible. That is, for each three or four feet of rise from the base to the upper resting edge of the ladder, the base should be one foot out from a vertical line from the upper resting edge of the ladder to the working surface.
The base of the ladder must be firmly set so that there is no possibility of slippage or settling into soft ground. The resting edge of the ladder should have both siderails in contact with the object (building or tree) it is against. When setting a ladder against a tree, set the ladder in the crotch of two limbs so that it cannot slide in either direction.
Whenever there is any question as to the stability of the ladder, additional effort should be made to stabilize the ladder as it is being climbed.
Tying the top of the ladder to the supporting structure can also keep the ladder from slipping or sliding. A ladder should be long enough so that when it rests against the upper support the user can perform his work without his waist being higher than the top rung of the ladder or above the rung at which the siderails are resting against the upper support, and the ladder extends at least three feet beyond the roof edge or support point. This means that the top three rungs of a straight ladder, or the top two steps of a stepladder, should never be used for the feet.
The lower ends of the siderails should be equipped with slip-resistant pads, particularly if the ladder is to be used on hard surfaces. The same is true for the upper ends of the siderails if they are to rest against a surface.
Preparation and making the climb
Ladders should be inspected prior to use, after being used by other workers, and after being used in one location for an extended period of time. Items of concern include missing or loose rungs, split bent or dented siderails, defective hardware and splinters. If any of these conditions exist, the ladder should be replaced or repaired.
A frequent cause of ladder accidents is attempting to reach too far left or right. This point emphasizes the need for selecting the proper ladder and proper ladder placement and setup. When working on a ladder, the person's belt buckle should never extend beyond the siderails. Reaching further can cause the ladder to slide in the opposite direction. Never attempt to shift the position of the ladder while you’re on it. Tying the ladder to the structure supporting it can prevent this and is a recommended practice. Only one person should be on the ladder at a time.
When climbing a ladder always maintain three points of contact and face the ladder. Colleagues should have both hands free to hold the ladders siderails, not the rungs, when climbing or descending. Small tools may be carried in a tool belt, not in the hands; but a better choice is to raise tools and supplies with a rope. Never raise or lower power tools by the cord or while they are plugged into an electrical source. Only shoes with heels should be worn when climbing ladders; users should be taught that the rung or step of the ladder should be just in front of the heel, under the arch of the foot. Stepping or standing on a ladder with the front part of the shoe is inviting a slip and fall.
Always face the ladder when climbing or descending.
Makeshift ladders, chairs, boxes and barrels should never be used as a substitute for a ladder. The risk of an accident is far too great.
WHAT IS A FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM?
All fall protection systems serve one of two basic functions:
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Prevent or restrain a worker from falling
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Safely stop or arrest a worker who falls
Guardrail, safety net, and personal fall arrest systems are conventional fall protection systems.
Before you begin using personal fall protection equipment, become familiar with the fall protection systems your employer has put in place to prevent falls.
Guardrail Systems and Toe-boards
A guardrail is a vertical barrier, normally consisting of an assembly of top-rails, mid-rails, and posts, erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels. A toe-board is a barrier placed to prevent the fall of materials to a lower level, or to keep employees' feet from slipping over an edge.
Handrail and Stair Rail Systems
A handrail is used to assist employees going up or down stairways, ramps or other walking/working surfaces by providing a handhold for support. A stair rail protects employees from falling over the edge of an open-sided stairway.
Designated Areas
This term refers to a space which has a perimeter barrier erected to warn employees when they approach an unprotected side or edge, and it also designates an area where work may be performed without additional fall protection.
Hole Covers
Hole covers, guarding floor openings of at least 2 inches in size, must be capable of supporting the maximum intended load.
Ramps and Bridging Devices
A ramp is an inclined surface between different elevations for the passage of employees, vehicles, or both. A bridging device is a surface which spans a gap between a loading dock and a vehicle or between vehicles. It may be fixed, portable, adjustable, powered or non-powered. It may also be called a car plate or dockboard.
REPORTING HAZARDS
Reporting fall hazards is integral to any effective safety effort. Report unsafe equipment, conditions, or procedures you observe directly to your supervisor or by using a WIR. Equipment repair should receive top priority. Under no circumstances should defective fall protection equipment be used.
RESOURCES/REFERENCES
SUPERVISORS & SAFETY LEADERS - DEEPER DIVES
GLOSSARY
Access
STF, Emergency Response
A means of reaching a work space of a work area.
Accessible
STF, Emergency Response
Accessible. Within reach from a work space or work area.
Accessible Location
STF, Emergency Response
Accessible Location. A location which can be reached by an employee standing on the floor, platform, runway, or other permanent working area.
Alternating Tread Stairs
STF, Emergency Response
A stair on which the treads are approximately one-half the width of the stair and alternate from right to left, consecutively, for the length of the stair.
Attic Story
STF, Emergency Response
Any story immediately below the roof and wholly or partly within the roof framing, designed, arranged, or built for business or storage use.
Authorized employee
PIT, STF
Selected by the employer for that purpose.
Balcony, Exterior Exit
STF, Emergency Response
A landing or porch projecting from the wall of a building, and which serves as a required means of egress. The long side shall be at least 50 percent open, and the open area above the guardrail shall be so distributed as to prevent the accumulation of smoke or toxic gases.
Basement
STF, Emergency Response
That portion of a building between floor and ceiling, which is partly below and partly above grade but so located that the vertical distance from grade to the floor below is less than the vertical distance from grade to ceiling. (See 'Story'.)
Building
STF, Emergency Response
Any structure as to which state agencies have regulatory power, built for support, shelter, housing or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, equipment, or property of any kind, and also includes structures wherein things may be grown, made, produced, kept, handled, stored, or disposed of.All appendages, accessories, apparatus, appliances, and equipment installed as a part of a building or structure shall be deemed to be a part thereof, but 'building' shall not include machinery, equipment, or appliances installed for manufacture or process purposes only, nor shall it include any construction installations which are not a part of a building, any tunnel, mine shaft, highway, or bridge, or include any house trailer or vehicle which conforms to the Vehicle Code.
CFR
PPE, Chemical, Tools, Electrical, Biosafety, PIT, IIPP, Fire, Emergency, ERT, STF, Vehicle, Violence
Code of Federal Regulations
GLOSSARY
Access
STF, Emergency Response
A means of reaching a work space of a work area.
Accessible
STF, Emergency Response
Accessible. Within reach from a work space or work area.
Accessible Location
STF, Emergency Response
Accessible Location. A location which can be reached by an employee standing on the floor, platform, runway, or other permanent working area.
Alternating Tread Stairs
STF, Emergency Response
A stair on which the treads are approximately one-half the width of the stair and alternate from right to left, consecutively, for the length of the stair.
Attic Story
STF, Emergency Response
Any story immediately below the roof and wholly or partly within the roof framing, designed, arranged, or built for business or storage use.
Authorized employee
PIT, STF
Selected by the employer for that purpose.
Balcony, Exterior Exit
STF, Emergency Response
A landing or porch projecting from the wall of a building, and which serves as a required means of egress. The long side shall be at least 50 percent open, and the open area above the guardrail shall be so distributed as to prevent the accumulation of smoke or toxic gases.
Basement
STF, Emergency Response
That portion of a building between floor and ceiling, which is partly below and partly above grade but so located that the vertical distance from grade to the floor below is less than the vertical distance from grade to ceiling. (See 'Story'.)
Building
STF, Emergency Response
Any structure as to which state agencies have regulatory power, built for support, shelter, housing or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, equipment, or property of any kind, and also includes structures wherein things may be grown, made, produced, kept, handled, stored, or disposed of.All appendages, accessories, apparatus, appliances, and equipment installed as a part of a building or structure shall be deemed to be a part thereof, but 'building' shall not include machinery, equipment, or appliances installed for manufacture or process purposes only, nor shall it include any construction installations which are not a part of a building, any tunnel, mine shaft, highway, or bridge, or include any house trailer or vehicle which conforms to the Vehicle Code.
CFR
PPE, Chemical, Tools, Electrical, Biosafety, PIT, IIPP, Fire, Emergency, ERT, STF, Vehicle, Violence
Code of Federal Regulations