Page 24 - Occupational Health & Safety, November 2018

SLIP & FALL
When hazardous wastes are stored in central waste collection areas, those areas must be inspected at least weekly to ensure that waste tanks and containers are not leaking.
This can lead to messy, unkempt waste collection areas. Between the angst of the task and the haste to get into and out of the area as quickly as possible, slip and fall or trip and fall incidents have a great likelihood because, if the area already looks messy, it is easy to rationalize that a little more mess won’t matter.
When hazardous wastes are stored in central waste collection areas, those areas must be inspected at least weekly to ensure that waste tanks and containers are not leaking. Expanding that com- pliance point to include that the floors in the collection areas are clean and dry and that all wastes are in collection containers will minimize the chance of slip and fall injuries in these areas.
Common Areas
Building entrances, lobbies, cafeterias, breakrooms, and restrooms are all examples of common areas where slips, trips and falls can oc- cur. Like outdoor areas, these areas can represent access and egress routes that need to be maintained to prevent slips, trips, and falls.
Unlike production areas where many of the things that can make a walking surface slippery are predictable, wet floors can be unex- pected in many common areas. Although formal inspections may
not be required for regulatory compliance, chances are good that each of these common areas is likely to undergo daily cleaning. Re- view these procedures and modify them, if necessary, to ensure that each area stays clean and dry. If necessary, establish a formalized plan for keeping entrances and lobbies safe in wet weather months.
Research conducted by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) shows that more than half of all slip, trip, and fall incidents are caused by problems with the walking surface. This includes ev- erything from uneven sidewalks and potholes outside to rain that is tracked into entranceways and leaks and spills that weren’t cleaned up promptly. Inspecting walking surfaces regularly will help to en- sure that they remain clean, clear, as dry as possible, and safe.
Karen D. Hamel, CSP, WACH, is a regulatory compliance profes- sional, trainer and technical writer for New Pig. She has more than 24 years of experience helping EHS professionals find solutions to meet industry consensus standards as well as EPA, OSHA and DOT regulations. Karen is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP,) OSHA- authorized General Industry Outreach Trainer, Walkway Auditor Certificate Holder (WACH,) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Trainer, hazmat technician, serves on the Blair County, PA LEPC and has completed a variety of environmental, safety, emer- gency response, DOT and NIMS courses, including Planning Section Chief. She conducts seminars, webinars and trainings for a variety of national organizations. She can be reached at 1-800-HOT-HOGS® (468-4647) or by email, karenh@newpig.com.
Self-adhesive Anti-Slip Tape and Line Marking Materials
Contact Heskins with your safety requirements today!
Heskins LLC, 500 Grant Avenue, Dock 40/41, East Butler, PA,16029 Www.heskins.us E mail@heskins.us T 877 900 8359
www.heskins.us
877-900-8359
Follow us on:
Untitled-6 1
9/26/18 1:46 PM
20 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER 2018
www.ohsonline.com
Circle 5 on card.