Slip Trip and Fall Hazards
Slip Trip and Fall Hazards : Work place should be in such a way where there is no possibility of slip trip and fall and any person can easily move around the working site without any hindrance. There is one. This type of incident often happens with the visitor who is unaware of the working site.
The phenomenon of falling occurs if there is no friction between the shoes and the surface while walking. It is caused by water, oil, grease or dust on the floor. So when visiting the working site, proper shoes means safety. Wearing of boot is mandatory.
Slip, trip and falls can sometimes lead to serious injury and death, but the common injuries that occur are sprains, strains, fractures, etc.
Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards in Construction
Slip occurs when proper housekeeping is not done at the working site, due to which oil, grease, ice, water or any other type of liquid lying on the floor which is not properly cleaned from the floor, then it is the cause of slip.
Many times wiping more wet during cleaning, leakage of water from somewhere or laying such a mat becomes the cause of accident like slip.
Tripping hazards happen when any object hits the foot or any rope or wire gets entangled in the foot, then the person loses his balance which becomes the reason for the person.
Apart from this, if a person leaves a step while coming down the stairs, unwanted material is kept on the way or the mat on which he is walking is torn, then the possibility of tripping hazards remains.
Common root causes of Slip Trip and Fall hazards
There are some root causes of Slip, Trip and Falls cause, which are often caused by falling on the working site. Let us understand it through the following points-
Falls
The main reason for falls is not using the safety belt, harness and lanyard properly at the working site, not being careful while descending the stairs or after jumping from the lower level, falls are related accidents.
Slip
The phenomenon of slip occurs when the friction between the shoe and the surface decreases during walking which causes slip.
The following points you will get to know.
•When the surface is wet or grease or any kind of liquid is spilled on it, it does not allow friction between the shoes and the surface, which causes an accident.
• Sometimes a liquid spills and falls and if it is not cleaned in time, it can cause an accident.
• When the weather is bad, either the surface gets wet or there is a lack of lights, then it becomes the cause of the accident.
• If there is not equal traction everywhere due to walking on the floor, then there is every possibility of slip.
Trip
Tripping hazards occur when your foot hits or tangles with an object, you lose balance and fall. Let’s try to know it from the following points.
• When you are careless while walking, then you fall after stumbling on something.
• If there is arrangement of poor lighting at the working site, then no object is visible properly and the one who stumbles falls.
•If any object causing clutter is placed on the way, it can cause an accident.
• If a carpet has been laid and is folded, there is a possibility of getting trapped and falling.
• If the cable is not taken to the working site through underground, over height or cable tray, then if it is on the way then the possibility of tripping hazard increases.
• If the floor is broken at the work place, the person may trip.
Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention
Slip and trip incidents are caused by unexpected changes in the contact between the foot and the walking surface. If the root causes are found out, then there is no proper housekeeping at the working site, broken walking surface and proper work place at the work site. Not using shoes becomes the cause of slip and trip. Understand it differently.
Housekeeping
1. If something spills, it should be cleaned immediately.
2. Spills area and wet area should be marked and do not allow anyone to go there. If anyone who goes there for work, check it out Whether he has proper safety shoes or not.
3. If any debris (debris) or unwanted material is lying on the floor, then ask them to clean it immediately.
4. Remove any stumbling object on the way immediately and always keep the path clean.
5. If there is a drawer inside the office, keep it closed and never open a file and throw it down.
6. Whatever electric cable or any kind of cable which is falling in the way should be covered.
7. Do not let there be any lack of light in whatever working area or the way there is.
8. Replace the bulb which is giving less light and the switch which is damaged.
Without effective housekeeping, repairing broken floors, no proper shoes and without training, you can never get rid of falling hazards.
Flooring
If the surface is not modified, it will fail to prevent slip and trip incidents. Therefore, where there is a need to paint the floor, paint it, apply a new mat, or use synthetic decking to prevent slip and trip in the future. Incidents like this can be stopped.
You need to remember that no matter how new technology is used to make the floor, but if proper housekeeping is not maintained, it can lead to collapse.
Another advantage of non-flexible floors is that they do not fall. Not only does it protect from cold, it also does not let the feet get tired.
Footwear
Where there is an oily or greasy surface, wearing normal shoes means inviting dangers. Before going to such places, proper safety shoes should be used or talk to the production house about its quality.
If we follow the following steps to prevent the incidents of Slip, Trip and Falls, then we can stop the possibility of slipping, falling and stumbling to a great extent. We have to understand other steps as well and implement it on the site and we can continue what will work out of it.
Types of Slip, Trip and Fall Control
When incidents like slip, trip and falls increase at the work place and to prevent it, you can follow these four steps, due to which the level of risk is greatly reduced.
1.Engineering Control
2.Administrative Control
3.Safe Work Practice
4.Personal Protective Equipment
The potential hazards of slip, trip and falls can be reduced through Engineering Control. Engineering controls are those that focus on maintaining the physical environment. Which puts an end to the possibilities of falling, stumbling, etc. during work. The level of risk is always high at the workplace where engineering control cannot be followed.
1.Engineering Control
•First of all, make arrangements for high water drainage at the work site so that the work site does not remain wet which often causes accidents.
•Will arrange lighting system adequately at work place. So that an object is easily visible and the possibility of someone stumbling and falling is eliminated.
•Mat and floor should be installed in such a way that there is less slippage.
• Hand rail should be used where there is surface slope.
• The surface which should not have any kind of hole on it and any type of object should not be kept which can cause an accident.
2.Administrative Control
Administrative control is also known as Work practice control. Its main task is to work towards making the work procedure more and more safe. For this, administrative control is related to safety policies, rules, supervision, schedule and training I think about it and if necessary, follow those steps which are required.
• Taking the poor work practice in the right direction.
•Inspection of health and safety committee every month and removal of deficiencies after finding them.
• It is a task to assess the danger occurring during any work and to establish safe work practice.
•Administrative control or sees that the things which are needed like buckets, wipes, shovels etc. then get that requirement fulfilled.
• Providing procedure to report the hazards that happen at the working site, so that after finding out the root causes, commit to not repeating the incident again in the future.
• Keeping proper maintenance by making work place a method.
• If the surface is wet, then stop the fall hazards by placing a sign board there.
• Reviewing all the hazards related to slip, trip.
3.Safe Work Practice
When work is being done on the working site, there are rules for each work, but accidents do not automatically reduce by making rules, workers, supervisors and employers have to follow safe work practice to reduce injuries. To reduce injury and risk. Follow the following points for Safe Work Practice.
1. The exact chemical that should be used to clean the floor.
2. All the objects that create clutter on the floor should be removed.
3. Three points should always be connected while climbing the Ladder, otherwise it can cause a fall.
4. Cleaning should be done as soon as possible.
4.Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
It is very important that every visitor or workers coming to the working site should use the correct PPE, that is, the better the PPE is used, the less the chances of falls. The use of proper personal protective equipment at the working site reduces the risk of injury or death to a great extent.
It should be necessary to use proper PPE at the work place, when it has to be reduced in a place where there is a possibility of slip, trip and falls. There is only one way to avoid slip, trip and falls, that is the work place But proper PPE should be used.
Following are some of its main points.
1. Such shoes should be used during work which can reduce the chances of falling.
2. Very loose shoes should not be used in such places where slip, trip and falls are likely to happen.
3. Use Fall protection PPE and always maintain it.
