Tripping, slipping and falling accidents occur while walking and running. The consequences of these accidents are often considerably more serious than is generally assumed. Floors, stairs, ladders, stairways and landings are often the triggers in the accidents. But also different floor conditions, influences of the weather or unevenness can represent dangers.
What do the accident statistics say?
Every day in Germany, 1,000 people fall during working hours. Every year, almost 5,000 of those affected are injured so severely that they receive a pension from the employers’ liability insurance association due to permanent health impairments. The employers’ liability insurance associations spend around 330 million euros a year on eliminating the consequences of accidents, and the economy incurs costs of billions of euros from lost working hours alone. Tips to avoid slip and fall accidents:
- Wipe up spilled water immediately.
- Remove food and sauce residues immediately and thoroughly.
- In case of grease contamination, make sure that the cleaning liquid (water and detergent) is hot enough to actually remove the fat completely. The temperature of the cleaning fluid must be above the melting point of the grease. For grease soiling with vegetable fats, a temperature of 40 °C is sufficient, for animal fats, the liquid temperature should be 50 °C.
- Do not use too much detergent. Follow the manufacturer’s dosage instructions. Residues of the agent, which remain on the floor covering, make it slippery. Especially if the floor is subsequently damp.
- If care products with slip-resistant admixtures are used, the correct dosage is quite important. Slip-resistant care products lose their effect through wetness.
- Protein stains that have dried on the floor are more stubborn than grease. To remove them safely, there is a trick: first soak and wipe away after a few minutes. The wiping water should be less than 40 °C warm. At higher temperatures, the protein flocculates and swells.
Causes of accidents: Small cause, big effect
The occasions for the often momentous accidents are usually small. A truck driver jumps out of the cab, the sales manager trips over a floor mat in the office corridor that is not firmly in place, the car mechanic slips on a pool of oil in the workshop, the geriatric nurse falls over a step in the half-dark parking garage. Every day, more than a thousand German employees trip, slip or fall so badly that they cannot work for at least three days. What the damage to health means for the quality of life of those affected is another matter. Anyone who has an accident during working hours or on the way to work at least has the advantage of being covered by accident insurance through their employers’ liability insurance association. There are places where such accidents occur more frequently – on construction sites, for example. But anyone who thinks they are safe in their office should be warned: accidents involving falls are a major focus of accident statistics across all industries. If we consider not only the world of work, but also home and leisure, 7,000 Germans fall to their deaths every year.
Every industry has its own tripping hazards
Many of the industry-specific Berufsgenossenschaften are taking the campaign as an opportunity to address the potential trip, slip and fall hazards in the work environments of their insureds. As the topic is one of the core tasks of prevention, they can draw on proven information tools and activities or develop them further – for example, the “Stolperparcours”, which the Steinbruchs-Berufsgenossenschaft presented at trade fairs, among other things. The causes of tripping, slipping and falling accidents can be divided into two categories, namely “hard” factors, which can be described by factual, largely structural-technical boundary conditions, and “soft” factors, which also include the (mis)behavior of the individual. The “hard” influencing factors primarily include obstacles in the walkway, uneven, unsuitable and dirty floors, unsuitable footwear, inadequate lighting conditions of traffic routes, especially stairs, and unclear (untidy) operational conditions. The “soft” factors concern, for example, haste, carelessness, lack of adaptation and the like. These factors are by far more difficult to grasp and also difficult to access for prevention, as they can only be influenced by changing behavior.
Rules of conduct
Behavioral causes of accidents include:
- Stress, rushing, fatigue, distraction, inattention, laziness.
- Cables and hoses lying around
- Unsuitable shoes
- Alcohol
Each individual can help prevent trip, slip, and fall accidents and should either immediately correct deficiencies in workplaces and traffic routes, such as damaged foot grates, clutter, spills, general soiling, damaged footwear, slippery snow and ice, uncovered floor openings, and others, themselves or report them to a supervisor. For example, it is important to wear safe footwear, control movement patterns, and adjust walking speeds to local conditions.
Tips to prevent tripping and slipping:
- Wear the right shoes
The right work shoe helps to walk safely. Depending on the area of application, different shoes are suitable. What they all have in common is a firm hold on the foot, a flat heel and a grippy, non-slip sole. There are now work shoes that, for all their functionality, are also visually trendy. Get tips from experts, for example, the specialist for occupational safety in their company. - Do not underestimate stairs and steps
Stumbling on stairs and steps leads to more serious injuries than stumbling on flat surfaces. That’s why stairs and steps must always be well-marked and well-lit. Use the handrail and be alert. - Eliminate tripping hazards and slippery areas
Edges of floor mats or carpeting should be clearly visible. Floor mats with a non-slip layer on the back provide more grip. Mats with bent-up corners or broken-out edges should be discarded! Best to secure transitions with firmly mounted carpet strips. - Pay attention to order at your feet
Beware of objects lying around. Always secure your workplace if it is located in an area frequented by third parties. Also, in your own interest, do not leave anything on the floor or leave water or oil stains unattended. On high workplaces such as scaffolding or work platforms, tripping accidents often have very serious consequences. - Keep your eyes open
Keep an eye on your work environment! Sometimes tripping hazards develop slowly: sidewalk slabs lift, a floor tile begins to wobble…. If you want to prevent yourself and your colleagues from tripping accidents, intervene yourself or draw the attention of the responsible contact person.
