1. Slips, Trips & Falls

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.