Page 44 - Occupational Health & Safety, November 2017

SLIP & FALL
A Clearer Understanding of Slips and Falls
Administrators must stay on top of floor conditions and install safety signs only when a potential hazard exists.
BY VICKY ADAMS
anagers of industrial locations have like- ly had their share of unfortunate experi- ences with slip-and-fall accidents. And they probably have a pretty good idea of
what types of conditions and situations are most likely to cause such accidents. This includes anything from obstacles such as cords or partially folded mats on the floor to spills and wet floor conditions.
They also likely know what an investigator will look into should someone be injured as a result of a slip-and-fall accident in their facility. If the reason for the slip and fall is obvious, such as an obstacle on the floor, then the cause is quite clear. However, when the cause is not clear, further investigation is necessary.
This investigation could include testing the coeffi- cient of friction (COF) or the static coefficient of fric- tion (SCOF), which indicates essentially how slip re- sistant the floor is. The investigator will want to know what steps have been taken—along with what types of cleaning solutions have been used— to clean and maintain the floor area on a daily, interim, and restor- ative basis.1 And to back all this up, the investigator will invariably also ask to see any type of ongoing audit or documentation that proves the floor has been cleaned and maintained regularly and with safety in mind.
And in the process of conducting an investigation into exactly what might have caused the slip and fall accident, the investigator will likely try to decipher one more thing: exactly what type of slip and fall accident occurred. What industrial building admin- istrators might not know is that not all slip-and-fall accidents are the same. Being aware of this can be a crucial step in helping to minimize if not eliminate many types of slips and falls from occurring.
Our center of gravity (COG), essentially the center of the body, is our balance point. This is what keeps us standing up straight with forward movement. How- ever, as our weight is transferred from foot to foot, there is actually a brief second or two—and that’s all it takes—when we are off balance and are vulnerable to a fall. If there is an unexpected change in the floor surface and, say, a foot slips or is caught on an obstacle during this brief period, our COG can be impacted, we can lose our balance, and, if we cannot quickly right ourselves, we fall.2
Four Types of Falls
Now that you know what happens with the body to cause a fall, let’s look at the four key types of slips, trips, and falls:
■ Trip and fall. This type of fall occurs when we unknowingly encounter a foreign object in our path, such as a power cord, a child’s toy, or a step.
■ Stump and fall. This kind of fall happens when we encounter an unseen impediment or ob- struction on the walking surface, such as an uneven floor area, a bump on a rug, or a significantly tacky area on the floor.
■ Step and fall. Falls of this type occur when the surface we are walking on unexpectedly changes height, such as in the case of a hole or dip in the surface.
■ Slip and fall. This type of fall happens when our COG is disrupted because we lose secure foot contact with the floor.
This last type, slip and fall, tends to be the most common and thus incur the most injuries; often we can recover our balance with the other types of slips, trips, and falls. And if we do experience a slip and fall and land on a fleshy part of the body, we often can escape serious injury. However, if we land on a bony part of the body or the fall is relatively violent in na- ture, the injury can be serious, even deadly.
Prevention
There are scores of different ways to prevent all types of slips, trips, and falls. Many industrial facilities have their own slip and fall prevention programs. Typically, proper cleaning using the right tools, chemicals, and equipment is at the top of the list. Additionally, indus- trial locations are installing a variety of matting sys- tems—such as mats that allow moisture and soils to collect under the surface of the mat—to help prevent slip and fall accidents.
However, there are two things that should also be included in a slip and fall prevention program: proper footwear and proper signage. If you were to look out at your warehouse or factory floor, what types of shoes are your workers wearing? If they are wearing every-
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The Mechanics of a Slip and Fall Accident
Before we discuss the different types of slips, trips, and falls that can occur, we need to understand a bit more about how we walk. Please note, this is a simpli- fied version of the complex mechanics of walking but provides enough information so we can understand the basics and how it relates to a slip-and-fall accident.
When we walk, the muscles and tendons in our legs expand and contract, controlled by the joints and bones in our legs. While walking, we are transferring our weight from one foot to the other. This causes our bodies to gently swing back and forth. We can see the impact of this in our arms, which move forward and backward during the walking process.
40 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER 2017
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