Slips, Trips, and Falls: The Number One Safety Hazard During Fall and Winter
Table of Contents
Safety tips for workers
Safety tips for employers
Determine how slip-resistant your footwear is
The impact on your team and company
Hypothermia and frostbite
Worker monitoring and fall detection system
As we approach the final month of a surreal year, the temperatures continue to plummet, and depending on where you live, snow, sleet, and rain will fall even harder. Here in the rainy Pacific Northwest where SafetyLine’s headquarter is located, winter brings us increasingly wet streets, walkways, and surfaces, resulting in more injuries (some very serious) from slips, trips, and falls at work, at home, and in public.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, more 42,000 workers get injured annually due to fall incidents, with the majority (67%) of falls occurring on the same level resulting from slips and trips - the remaining 30% falls are from working on heights such as ladders or scaffolding. These stats are revealing in that they show how workers can experience injuries from slipping and falling on level ground. And according to the National Safety Council, in 2016, close to 700 workers died in falls to a lower level, and roughly 50,000 workers were injured badly enough to require time off of work to recuperate. What is relatively unknown is that workers don’t have fall from a height to suffer fatal injuries - 134 workers were killed in falls on the same level that same year.
Injury from falls by industry from NSC Data, 2016
Deaths from falls by industry from NSC Data, 2016
Employers with outdoor lone workers are particularly concerned about accidents as these people are more at risk of serious injury because there is no coworker with them to assist and call for help if they misstep and fall off of a ramp or slip and trip while walking to a client’s home. Injuries can include fractured bones, broken ribs as well as serious back and head injuries requiring time off work. Slips, trips and falls are the number one type of work injury during this time of year but they can be mitigated through a number of simple strategies and tips that must be communicated to both employers and employees – in some cases, training may be necessary.
Safety tips for workers
This is an obvious one but avoid slippery areas with ice and leaves.
Wear the appropriate footwear to and while at work – consider wearing ice grippers if you work in cold, wet conditions.
When entering a building, be aware of any water and slush you may have tracked in and clean up when appropriate. This includes cleaning off any snow and ice on your footwear.
If there is a work area where you feel is a slip, trip or fall hazard, notify your manager immediately.
Safety tips for employers
Always monitor walk and outdoor work areas for any slippery conditions. Once identified, take steps to reduce the hazard such as shoveling snow, salting icy walkways, and posting warning signs.
Look at last year’s history of slip-trip-and-fall incidents. Where did they happen? Was the issue fixed? Explore solutions to eliminate and mitigate those problem areas.
Having said that, make sure you document all slip-trip-and fall incidents which will help you in the future.
Develop official protocols to follow when a staff member encounters a potential safety hazard – including those out in the field working alone.
Make sure all handrails and banisters are secure, sturdy, and undamaged.
Provide workers with any footwear and equipment needed to protect them from fall injuries.
Educate and train staff about any policies around slips, trips and falls during wet and cold conditions.
On a regular basis, ask staff about any areas of concern for slips, trips and falls.
Ensure there is adequate lighting in work and high-traffic areas.
Spot check for potential safety hazards such as potholes and cracks that may cause slips, trips and falls.
Check grate covers, catch basins, and drain pipes are not clogged with debris like leaves. These situations can cause dams to form, backing up water from melting snow and ice onto sidewalks and refreeze.
Determine how slip-resistant your footwear is
The Toronto Rehabilitation Institute launched the useful Rate My Treads site, which “developed an innovative solution to testing winter footwear for their slip resistance in different winter conditions.” They also test common footwear brands for slip resistance.
The impact on your team and company
In addition to the adversity (physical pain, emotional distress, stress of family members) that workers experience after a fall injury, there are number of potential impacts at work including lost productivity and operations, replacement employee costs, increased workers’ compensation costs, possible overtime for existing employees, and/or even litigation expenses and fines.
Hypothermia and frostbite
While not fall-related, hypothermia and frostbite are also possible, serious safety hazards while working in winter conditions. It is important that workers, especially lone workers, know the signs of these dangerous conditions. Do you know the signs?
Hypothermia
Slurred speech
Shivering or shaking
Fumbling hands
Drowsiness or confusion
Lack of coordination
Memory loss
Frostbite
Pins and needles sensation: pricking, tingling or numbness on the skin
Numb, hard, and pale skin
Red, white, bluish-white or grayish-yellow skin
Blisters or swelling
Joint or muscle stiffness
While both conditions require different steps of treatment, the first, immediate step for each is to “get the person into a warm room as soon as possible.” If your lone workers are in remote areas where the temperatures can drop, it is up to the employer to provide areas and shelter where they can warm up if they experience any of these symptoms.
Worker monitoring and fall detection system
As you read earlier, there are a number of steps one can take to protect themselves and their workers – especially the lone and remote ones. To elevate the safety and protection of your workers, consider an automated worker monitoring tool that has features like location tracking and fall detection. Not only will this make sure your workers go home at the end of the day, but it also provides you with some valuable peace of mind.