Preventing Slips, Trips & Falls
10 Steps to Prevention & Compliance of Slips, Trips & Falls in the Workplace
Although totally eradicating your workplace of slips, trips and falls may be a somewhat impossible task. The ten steps outlined below will definitely reduce the risk and place your workplace in a strong position to reduce these type of accidents.
1) Assess Your Slips Trips & Falls
As a manager or safety representative it is your duty to provide your employees with a workplace free from recognized slips, trips and fall hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Within your safety programs encompasses facility inspection and employee training elements. One of the best way to identify or assess hazards is to create internal audits and get employee's input as they do the job or task on a daily basis and are usually aware of some of the risks. If you feel this is beyond your safety experience hire an external professional to conduct a safety audit on your premises.
2) Mark Aisles & Passageways
Permanent aisles and passageways should and must be appropriately marked. Where mechanical handling equipment is used, sufficient safe clearances shall be allowed for aisles, at loading docks, through doorways and wherever turns or passage must be made. Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear and in good repairs, with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard. One of the most common causes of slips and trips is poor housekeeping. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
3) Provide Traction on Slippery Surfaces
Although this point seems quite obvious it's amazing how often wet or slippery surfaces go unmarked. Providing a permanent solution such as tread coating or anti slip tape is often the best way to address the issue in the long term. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
4) Improve Safety on Stairs
The nature of stairs make them a natural slip, trip and fall hazard. Add water or other slippery substances to a stair case or stair well and you literally may have an accident waiting to happen. Luckily enough stair safety can easily be improved using anti slip tapes, treads and stair nosings. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
5) Mark Emergency Evacuation Routes
In addition to preventing slips, trips and falls in normal working conditions, it's essential to reduce these type of incidents in an emergency. By clearly marking exits and evacuation routes reduces the risk of falls in emergency conditions. Remember that your safety programs are not mutually exclusive. For example there is no reason why your Slips, Trips and Falls safety program should not work in tandem with your Fire Safety obligations and requirements. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
6) Warn of Temporary Hazards
Use temporary replacement products to convey your message in an instant. clearly mark off hazardous areas with high visibility products that can be seen from a distance, preventing potential accidents in and around your facility. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
7) Post Safety Signage & Labeling
Identify , comply and make your workplace safe and secure. whether it is restricting access to a particular area, alerting employees to potential hazards, or simply providing direction. - Health and safety signs play an important role in your facility. Download the Seton Sign survey. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
8) Inspect Scaffolds & Ladders
Scaffold & Ladder equipment is naturally prone to accidents due to the elevated height in which we use the equipment. Both ladders and scaffold should be initially and periodically inspected. For more information an Scaffolds and Ladders view our Working at Heights page. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
9) Control & Clean Oil & Spills
In addition to water, oil like substances not only create a slip, trip hazard but can create additional fire hazards. Having spill kits on hand to control such a spill will assist employers in meeting their obligations to provide as far as practicable spill containment due to a leak of a stated dangerous good or combustible liquids. heavy penalties are imposed upon failure to meet these requirements. (Source: QLD Dangerous Goods safety Management Regulation 2001). View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
10) Be Prepared for Emergencies
Being prepared for an emergency is your best way to reduce the severity of a workplace injury or illness. First Aid Kits for example can provide important temporary relief from a slip, trip or fall incident. View Seton's Suggested Solutions >>
DISCLAIMER: All the information or advice on this page aims to be as accurate as we can reasonably make it. However, the information and advice is general and may not necessarily applicable to your specific business or workplace. If a topic relates to your business or workplace, you should make sure you do your own research on how applicable and relevant the information or advice is to your particular situation.
