Page 34 - Occupational Health & Safety, July 2017

FALL PREVENTION
frequently reported types of surfaces where these injuries occur include food prepara- tion areas.
It’s really all about traction. When there is anything between the bottom of a shoe and what the shoe should be resting on, slips and falls happen. Do what it takes to eliminate the cause. Traction on outdoor surfaces can change considerably when weather conditions change. Traction con- trol procedures should be constantly moni- tored for their effectiveness.
Keep all floors free of moisture. Seems like common sense, but if it were, you wouldn’t be reading this article. Use ad- hesive striping material or anti-skid paint whenever possible, as well as moisture- absorbent mats. And make sure they have non-slide backing material so that when a worker steps on it, it doesn’t turn into Alad- din’s flying carpet.
3. Clear all obstacles in aisles and walkways.
Injuries can also result from trips caused by obstacles, clutter, materials, and equipment in aisles, corridors, entrance- ways, and stairwells. Put policies or pro- cedures in place for keeping the area clean and free from clutter. Also, avoid stringing cords, cables or air hoses across hallways or in any designated aisle.
4. Create and maintain proper lighting.
Poor lighting in the workplace has long been associated with an increase in acci- dents. Make sure to keep work areas well lit and clean. And when you walk into a dark room, use common sense—turn on the light first.
5. Wear proper shoes.
We discussed earlier how the proper shoe can prevent falls. Unfortunately, im- proper shoes, or those worn down, have the ability to cause trips, slips, and falls. Whenever a fall-related injury is investi- gated, the footwear needs to be evaluated to see whether it contributed to the incident.
The High Cost of Fall Injuries
It’s also a good practice to educate employ- ees about the danger of falling at home. Recently a young man in our community was in his attic, lost his balance, and fell through the ceiling, landing on the garage floor below. He sustained a broken back, several broken ribs, and a serious head in- jury. He will be off work for several months
for sure and possibly never return due the extent of his brain injury.
I’ve come to the conclusion that when someone gets injured everyone gets hurt— the person, his family, and employer, and it really doesn’t matter whether it happens at home or at work. Last year in Michigan alone, there were 43 people killed on the job, marking the highest number of fa- talities in the past 10 years. Twenty-one of those were from falls, which is three times more than the year before.
According the National Safety Coun- cil, falls are the third leading cause of un- intentional death in the United States, ac- counting for nearly 32,000 deaths in 2014, and the risk of falling increases with age. Accidents as a result of an employee slip- ping and falling can happen in virtually any industry, with some being more susceptible than others. In 2015, there were 350 fatal falls to a lower level out of 937 construction fatalities (BLS data).
These resulting injuries often come with large expenditures. Liberty Mutual estimates more than $61 billion per year is spent on disability claims in America, with $15.57 billion, or 25 percent, resulting from falls (16.4 percent of falls to same level, 8.7 percent falls to a lower level). It is notewor- thy that there is a category of slips and trips without a fall that cost another $2.35 bil- lion, or 3.8 percent.
While the monetary cost is important, we can never lose sight of the effect a loss of life or disability has on family and friends. No amount of money can replace a hus- band, mother, brother, daughter or best friend.
Finally, you need to be aware that OSHA takes the topic of slips and falls very seriously. Since 2012, OSHA has partnered with the National Institute for Occupa- tional Safety and Health and the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) - Construction Sector on the Fall Preven- tion Campaign to raise awareness among workers and employers about common fall hazards in construction and how falls from ladders, scaffolds, and roofs can be prevent- ed. Here is what OSHA advises:
1. Plan ahead to get the job done safely.
When working from heights, employers must plan projects to ensure that the job is done safely. Begin by deciding how the job will be done, what tasks will be involved,
and what safety equipment may be needed to complete each task.
When estimating the cost of a job, em- ployers should include safety equipment and plan to have all of the necessary equip- ment and tools available at the construction site. For example, in a roofing job, think about all of the different fall hazards, such as holes or skylights and leading edges, then plan and select fall protection suitable to that work, such as personal fall arrest systems (PFAS).
2. Provide the right equipment.
Workers who are 6 feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they should fall. To protect these workers, employers must provide fall pro- tection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaf- folds, and safety gear.
Use the right ladder or scaffold to get the job done safely. For roof work, if workers use personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), pro- vide a harness for each worker who needs to tie off to the anchor. Make sure the PFAS fits and regularly inspect it for safe use.
3. Train everyone to use the equip- ment safely.
Every worker should be trained on proper setup and safe use of equipment they use on the job. Employers must train workers in recognizing hazards on the job.
Workers are the backbone of any or- ganization—and on the front lines of pro- duction. They also face the greatest risks, no matter what industry they might work in, whether they’re sitting in a computer chair or operating heavy equipment. And while the risks vary, it is the job of safety professionals to protect workers, which also ensures production keeps moving and decreases disability, medical, and workers’ comp costs.
Randy Boss, CRA, CRM, SHRM-SCP, is a Certified Risk Architect at Ottawa Kent in Jenison, Mich. As a Risk Architect, he de- signs, builds, and implements risk manage- ment and insurance plans for middle market companies in the areas of human resources, property/casualty, and benefits. He has 40 years experience and has been at Ottawa Kent for 35 years. He is the co-founder of OSHAlogs.com, an OSHA compliance and injury management platform. He can be reached at rboss@ottawakent.com.
34 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY 2017
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