As stated before, slips, trips, and falls are the highest reported workplace injuries. Because of this, we want to provide you with a few more tips to help you avoid these injuries!

Monday – Slips + Trips = Falls

Slips happen when there is limited traction between a person’s foot and the surface they are walking on. Keep an eye out for these slip causing factors around your workplace:

• Mats that move and are not secured to the floor
• Weather hazards like snow and ice
• Oily or wet surface
• Floors that do not have traction or are too smooth
• Spills that occur and are not cleaned up or marked immediately

Trips happen when the foot hits an object causing you to lose your balance. The causes for trips are as follows:

• Clutter in walk ways or obstruction of view
• Inadequate lighting
• Bunched up carpets
• Cords and cables that lie in walk ways
• Uneven walking areas

Take a moment today and look around your surroundings. Make mental notes for safety opportunities you can use to improve your work space. What steps can you take to help warn others of hazards?

Tuesday – Preventing Falls

Things like housekeeping, flooring, and footwear can make a huge difference in fall prevention. Here are a few tips you can implement to help!

Housekeeping:             

• If you spill something, clean it up immediately or mark the area to warn others.
• Make sure to always mop and sweep up messes from the floor.
• Make sure all walk ways are free of clutter.
• Secure carpets to the floor.
• Cover loose cables.
• Make sure burnt bulbs are replaced immediately and areas are sufficiently lit for the tasks being carried out.

Flooring: If you find that your flooring type is causing issues, make modifications, such as recoating, replacing, or installing mats, to improve conditions. You can also use abrasive strips to rough up floors and create traction.

Footwear: When working in an area where floors are oily or wet, make sure to use the proper footwear! Consult with your company’s health and safety team for footwear suggestions or research manufacturer guidelines on products you are interested in.

Wednesday – Avoid Falling at Work

While falling is not 100% preventable, there are some steps you can take to help avoid falls.

• Keep your floors in good condition.
• Ensure you have sufficient lighting for the task at hand.
• Ensure nothing is obstructing your view.
• Make a mental note of where you are going, what your tasks are, and what may potentially happen.
• Make sure your work area is clean of clutter and obstruction.
• Use a light source when entering a dark room.

These simple things can help you be more aware of your surroundings and help you pick proper tools to complete tasks safely.

Thursday – Prepare yourself!

As stated before, falling is not completely preventable. It can happen at any moment but you can prepare yourself so you know how to react if you do fall.

• Do not extend your arms to catch yourself! Muscled areas are more protected than bone when falling.
• Protect your head!
• Let go of any objects you are carrying and don’t risk a fall to save an item.

Friday – Free Speech Friday:

Give or ask your coworkers for some advice on what they have done to prevent falling in wintery conditions. What have you learned from others and your own experiences? Do you feel like you now know the causes that lead to slips, trips, and falls and how to prevent them?