Slips, trips and falls - What are the OHS risks?
Slips occur when a person's foot loses traction with the floor. The most common causes of slips are slippery floor surfaces (e.g. highly polished, wet or greasy) and inappropriate footwear.
Tripping occurs when a person is walking and their foot catches on an object. In most cases, people trip on small, unobtrusive things such as cracks in the floor, changes in floor levels and electrical leads. However trips are also common in fast-paced work, especially in crowded conditions as well as in poorly lit areas.
Falls can result from slips or trips, but many occur during falls from low heights such as steps, stairs and kerbs.
Potential injuries
Slips, trips and falls account for most of the minor injuries in workplaces, such as sprains and strains (also known as musculoskeletal disorders), as well as cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations.
However, they can also cause very serious injuries, mostly to the ankle, knee or back, leaving employees with long-term problems, which can significantly affect their quality of life.
Falls from relatively low heights have been known to leave employees with brain damage and in a few cases have resulted in death.
When you consider that each injured person averages around four weeks off work, there’s good reason to have another look at risks in your workplace.
While slips, trips and falls occur in all workplaces, they are most common in the construction and transportation industries.
Many slips, trips and falls can easily be prevented, often at little cost.
Falls from height
Research has shown that the risk of death or serious injury (such as a fracture, spinal cord injury, concussion or brain damage) from a fall increases significantly for falls from two metres or more.
Typical falls that cause death and serious injury include those resulting from:
- Using unsafe or incomplete scaffolds
- Inappropriate ladders/ladder use
- Falling from or through roofs
- Falls from trucks
- Falls into holes, pits or shafts
- Accessing shelving
- Accessing mezzanine areas.