SLIP HAZARDS

Slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. According to OSHA, slip, trip, and fall incidents cause 15% of all accidental deaths and are second only to motor vehicle incidents as a cause of fatalities on the job. These types of incidents can result in life-changing injuries to the employees who suffer them. These incidents are also very costly for businesses. HUB reports that the average slip and fall injury costs $20,000.

Causes of Slips in the Workplace

Recognizing and addressing the hazards that cause slip incidents should be a focus in the workplace. Slips happen when there is too little friction or traction between the footwear and the walking surface.

Common causes and contributing factors of slips are:

  • Wet or oily surfaces

  • Spills

  • Poor weather conditions

  • Poor lighting conditions

  • Loose, unanchored rugs or mats

  • Flooring or other walking surfaces that do not have the same degree of traction in all areas

Slip Prevention

  • Practice good housekeeping to prevent slips in the workplace.

  • Keep walkways and paths clear of water, snow, ice, oils, etc. to reduce slippery conditions.

  • Place signage or barricades around slippery conditions to alert personnel in the area until it can be cleaned up.

  • Secure floor mats or other materials that need to be on the ground so they do not shift when individuals walk on them.

  • Wear the proper footwear for the conditions. Footwear with good tread makes better contact with the walking surface which leads to less of a chance of a slip.

  • Take smaller steps or shuffle your feet when there are slippery conditions present that you cannot avoid. Taking larger steps can lead to your balance being thrown off resulting in a slip.

Slip incidents are hard to avoid if there are slippery conditions or other hazards present that cause slips. The key is to eliminate these hazards so individuals are not exposed to them in the first place. If there are no conditions where there is too little friction or traction between an individual’s footwear and the walking surface, then there is no slip.

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