With the average slip, trip or fall costing the employer $2,000 in direct WSIB costs and a total of $22,000 in total direct and indirect costs, they can be a costly hazard to ignore.
Slips, trips and falls happen in the workplace and although they can cause serious injuries, they are often not as high on the priority list as they should be when it comes to accident prevention and on-the-job health and safety education.
According to WSIB statistics, slips, trips and falls caused almost 20 per cent of all injuries in Ontario in 2003.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, in Canada, approximately 60,000 workers are injured each year due to fall accidents. This number represents about 15 per cent of the lost-time injuries that were accepted by workers compensation boards or commissions across the country.
"In the service sector that number is even higher," comments Sandro Perruzza, Manager, New Markets, Ontario Service Safety Alliance. "Whether it is in a kitchen, retail outlet, vehicle repair shop or tourism workplace, slip, trip and fall hazards are a serious risk factor that employers need to be aware of and they must begin developing controls to reduce injuries caused by these hazards. With the average slip, trip or fall costing the employer $2,000 in direct WSIB costs and a total of $22,000 in total direct and indirect costs, they can be a costly hazard to ignore."
There are many factors that contribute to these statistics. Improper equipment and footwear, lack of information and understanding of the risk, and apathy all play a big role in the high incidence of slips trips and falls.
"Most falls are a result of a slip or a trip and are classified as falls from the same level," says Perruzza. Common causes include slippery floors due to spilled liquids, litter on the floor, improper footwear, obstructions on floors or stairs, and loose or frayed carpet. One of the first things that employers should do to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls in the workplace is to increase awareness of these hazards.
"Awareness is not just putting up signs and posters," says Perruzza. "Awareness involves the manager or supervisor speaking to the workers and telling them about the hazards in that specific workplace. They should provide verbal and written instructions for safe procedures and controls in the workplace and those procedures should be enforced. The manager or supervisor should observe workers and follow up with them to ensure that proper procedures are followed and unsafe practices are corrected immediately. Some training may be required, especially for hazardous equipment, such as ladders. The training should include topics such as equipment inspection, set up, use, storage and preventative maintenance. All training should be documented and employees should be required to demonstrate competency afterward."
With a better understanding of the risk and knowledge of safe procedures to prevent accidents, employees can take the necessary steps to protect themselves, their co-workers and customers from injury. Even the simplest procedures can make a tremendous difference. For example, it is common for employees to mop the floor and leave the sign "careful wet floors" up for an extended length of time. People get used to the sign, especially if it is up all day and tend to ignore the message. And, if the floor is mopped up with cold dirty water instead of clean hot water the risk of slips and falls can increase. It is also important to have the proper policies in place and to enforce them. This conveys the importance of paying attention to potential hazards and taking action to correct them. Employees will be more apt to report things such as cracked tiles, frayed carpets, loose flooring, dimly lit stairways, and loose or missing handrails - things that might otherwise be ignored.
In addition to education and awareness building, employers need to invest in the proper equipment to keep employees and customers safe.
Non-slip shoes are essential to employee safety. Many employers have implemented a non-slip shoe policy because shoes work better than mats, mops and non-slip coatings as they provide a measure of safety everywhere the worker goes. As with all equipment, a preventative maintenance program is required to ensure that shoes are in good order and replaced when needed, which would probably be every six months, depending on use. Some organizations invest money in special cleaning detergents for floors or put a special finish on the floor to prevent slipping.
Anti-slip treatments come in a few different forms, explains Werner Lomker, president, Ontario Anti-Slip Ltd. of Mississauga. "The most common is a chemical treatment for hard mineral surfaces that creates an invisible microscopic tread on the tile surface," said Lomker. "It is more effective than any other solution. One of our customers, for example, was having one WSIB slip-fall claim per month. Since we treated her floor over four years ago she has not had a single slip-fall accident. Our treatment makes the floor not slippery when it is wet, even if there is oil on the surface."
Traditional methods of preventing slips and falls, such as mopping up spills right away, can be helpful but are reactive rather than proactive, adds Lomker. "Mats, also a traditional method, often create a tripping hazard although they do help to keep water off the floor," he notes. "Anti-slip shoes can be great in a staff-only environment but unfortunately no one can enforce what type of footwear customers and visitors wear."
Falls from heights are the most serious type of fall and are commonly caused by the use of improper footstools, such as milk crates, chairs and boxes, and improper use of ladders.
There are a lot of different types of ladders available, such as stepladders, extension ladders and fixed ladders. These ladders are made from different materials, such as fiberglass, wood, aluminum, etc. Most workplaces only have one or two different ladders, and they may not be the proper style for the type of job that the employee is trying to do. "Many workplaces have aluminum ladders because they are relatively inexpensive and very durable. A person who is using a ladder to change a light bulb should not be using a metal ladder to do this type of work. However, if there are no fiberglass ladders available employees will use the aluminum ladder if that is all that is available," says Perruzza.
Living in a northern climate like Canada poses an additional risk. Snow and ice in the winter months increase the risk of slips, trips or falls dramatically, both outdoors and indoors. Employers should encourage employees to wear proper winter footwear when traveling to and from work. And, they should be diligent about clearing entrances and walkways around the workplace within a half hour of opening and closing. This not only prevents people from slipping and falling as they enter or exit the workplace, it also minimizes the amount of snow and ice that is tracked inside. For example, if a worker wearing boots or shoes tracks snow into the workplace and the snow melts, a slip hazard is created. Multiply this hazard by the number of workers and customers in the workplace and the risk increases significantly. Mats on the floor by the front door catch some of the snow but it may take a few seconds for the snow to melt off the shoes and by that time the person has moved beyond the mat.
WSIB statistics say that one in every six lost time injuries in Ontario is caused by a fall. It’s numbers like these that show employers and employees alike that it is time to take slips, trips and fall hazards seriously in their workplaces.
According to WSIB statistics, slips, trips and falls caused almost 20 percent of all injuries in Ontario in 2003.
Slip: A sliding motion where the foot (shoe) loses traction with the floor surface resulting in a loss of balance.
Trip: Involves a loss of balance when the natural movement of the foot is interfered with momentarily.
Fall: A drop in height of the human body.
Excerpted from The Safety Mosaic, Vol 8, No. 2, Summer 2005
You can consult your industry/sector professional association for input and advice when purchasing equipment and supplies.
