Slip trip and fall hazards.
Workplaces are dangerous places that can give rise to accidents if there are no precautions in place. In workplaces, slip, trip, and fall hazards can be evident because they are among the dangers that can exist in the workplace, and adequate precautions and control measures are necessary to control the slip trip and fall hazards.
Sometimes, the friction between shoes and the surface where we are walking can be reduced when we walk on water, greasy, or dust particles on the floor. And when it happens, slip and fall may occur. Most times, it is made mandatory that appropriate footwear is used in places with the possibility of oil or water spills.
Slips, trips, and falls can lead to serious injury to persons and cause loss of money and even death, but sometimes, they can lead to lesser injuries like sprains, strains, and fractures.
Tripping hazards happen when objects are obstructed in the walkway, the foot hits the object, or an object pierces the foot. It could also occur from a rope entangled with the foot, and the person involved loses balance.
Someone who miss a step while moving up or down a stair may have the likelihood of tripping and falling.
A person wiping or cleaning the floor with a wet cleaning can be exposed to slips and falls.
Understanding how the workplace’s slip, trip, and fall hazards occur.
Fall.
Falls do not necessarily mean someone falls from a height; a fall can happen on the same level and when not even at a height m. when a worker works at a height of about 1.8m and above, there is the possibility of a fall if the necessary precautions are not implemented. One reason for falling from height could be not engaging in a personal fall arrest system.
Slip.
Slips can occur when there is a presence of slippery material on the floor where people are passing. If the substance is not contained or not cleaned up immediately, someone may slip on it and fall. It often occurs because the friction between the shoe and the floor has been reduced. A wet surface does not allow friction between the shoe and the floor. And so, the slip becomes an observable hazard. Having a lousy weather too can contribute to the wet nature of the ground.
Trip.
If there is not enough visibility on the path where someone is walking, someone can trip and fall on those items. Having a poor arrangement of items or objects stationed on the walkway, someone can stumble on them mistakenly. Clustering of objects on the floor can lead to trip hazards, too .In some places, trailing cable, damaged carpet, or a broken floor can lead to the tripping of the person involved.
How to prevent trip, slip, and fall hazards
1. Housekeeping.
Proper housekeeping involves having a place for everything and everything in its right place. It means the orderly arrangement of items and ensuring they don’t obstruct any people. Good housekeeping in health and safety entails cleaning up the environment to ensure everything is neat, clean, and tidy.
2. PPE.
PPE means personal protective equipment and safety footwear, which are the main ones for controlling slip trips and falls. Proper footwear can prevent slipping, trips, and falls in the workplace. Workers should use Safety footwear during any work activity on site, which will help reduce any chance of losing. Do not wear any loose shoes where there is a likelihood of falls. Footwear with a good sole grip will be comfortable to prevent slipping when an Oil or water spill is on the floor.
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3. Administrative control.
Administrative control involves making the workers’ work procedure safer by introducing a good approach. For instance, Creating safety policies, supervision, and training workers on safe work activities. Administrative control sees the control of hazards from creating adequate procedures to tackle the hazards.
4. Engineering Control.
Engineering control involves controlling the slip trip and fall hazards through engineering methods and approaches. For example, more lighting systems should be arranged so that enough visibility will be seen in areas where we can have a spill—creating handrails in staircases and places where there is the possibility of falling and installing mats and rugs so that it doesn’t cause slips and trips.
5. Safe work practice.
Safe work involves having good work practices that will discourage slips, trips, and falls—for instance, cleaning the work area after each job and removing objects that can cluster on the walkway. Also, there should be three-point contact when using a ladder. Etc.
Conclusion.
Slip trips and falls are some of the significant hazards that are prevalent on site. Adequate measures are needed to prevent it from causing harm to employees. The list of the control measures above will go a long way to ending the slip trip and fall hazards. Ensure you adequately engage in them.
- Who is a safety manager, and what are their responsibilities?
- How to Audit a Quality Management System with ISO 9001-2015 Standard.
- Components of a Personal Fall Arrest System PFAS
- Workplace noise risk assessment template
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