Slips, Trips & Falls

Objectives Identify what causes falls Identify preventative actions Before introducing cases: Ask who has been injured by slipping, tripping over something, or falling? Ask volunteers to described their experiences. What caused the fall? What kind of injury did they have? How long were they out of work or otherwise harmed by the injury. Lead the audience into presentation of OSHA cases that have caused major injury or death to employees. Identify what causes falls Identify preventative actions Commit to action

OSHA Case #1 Slip Leads to Infection & Death Janitor slips in kitchen of hotel Breaks rib and punctures lung Becomes infected with pneumonia Dies from infection

OSHA Case #2 Slip Causes Head Injury & Death Employee slips on liquid spill in warehouse Struck head on floor Had emergency brain operation Died from heart failure

OSHA Case #3 Fall on Stairs Causes Death Office employee tripped/slipped on stair Fell down stairs and landed with her head in the sheetrock wall Died from skull fracture, cerebral contusion, and subdural hemotoma

OSHA Case #4 Employee Breaks Hip in Fall from Table Housekeeper stands on table to reach light fixture Table tipped causing employee to fall Table landed on hip Employee broke hip

Slips, Trips & Falls at PLU 55% (2015) of reported injuries at PLU are slips, trips, and falls. Most of these slip, trip, fall injuries (59%) occurred on flat surfaces, usually caused by liquid spills. Others were slips from inclement weather, falls on stairs, and trips over obstructions. Following are a few examples of slip, trip, fall injuries at PLU this year.

PLU Case #1 Limited Vision Contributes to Fall Employee carried high stacked material blocking vision Cart blocked pathway Employee tripped and fell

PLU Case #2 Slip Leads to Broken Window & Injured Knee Employee slipped on stairs and fell down stairs Window at base of stair broke fall Injury required medical treatment

PLU Case #3 Congestion Creates Hazard Employee tripped on heel of another employee in congested work space Fell to ground Aggravated pre-existing medical condition

Group Activity Facilitator should use poster paper to list causes. Do this activity for 10 minutes. Examples of causes can be: Administrative, such as no one specifically responsible for mopping spills; Engineering, such as the work space not designed for the number of people in the space or no skid-resistant surfacing. 2nd part: Assemble into random groups based on dissimilar jobs to brainstorm ways to prevent injuries from slips, trips, and falls. Brainstorm specific causes of slips, trips and falls in our work areas. Brainstorm actions one can take to prevent slips, trips, and falls.

Independent Activity Select one activity that you can control and will personally take responsibility for doing in the next week to reduce slips, trips and falls in your work place. Write it down. Select one activity that you will propose to your supervisor or other PLU entity to reduce slips, trips and falls in your work place. Write it down. Examples: I will immediately mop up any spills that I see in my work space. I will recommend a method for reconfiguring my work space to my supervisor so that I don’t run into my co-workers.

Summary Most Accidents at PLU are slips, trips, or falls. While most falls cause minor injuries, people have been hospitalized or disabled from falls. We can all reduce injuries by eliminating hazards in our work environment.