Slip, Trip, Fall Prevention

Sidewalks, parking lots, food prep areas, and floors are areas where STF’s can occur. Reduce STF hazards by:

• Good maintenance of sidewalks and parking lots. Fill in cracks in the walking surfaces and address height elevation issues.
• Use traction strips or anti-skid paint. Anti-skid paint or adhesive backed traction strips provide good traction in wet areas. Include signs that inform people there are slippery conditions present.
• Clean up spills immediately and place signs nearby advising people that there are unsafe conditions present.
• Use floor mats with beveled edges and backing that won’t slide across floor.

Good housekeeping plays a big role in slip trip fall prevention. Clean, well lit, and organized work areas help prevent workplace injuries and should be:

• Free from clutter and organized. Remove objects that are blocking pathways and are trip and fall hazards. Extension wires and cables, boxes, and debris should be eliminated.
• Good lighting. Use the appropriate illumination for work areas. Areas around light switches should also be free of obstacles and accessible.
• Keep poorly lit areas free of clutter and any obstructions that can be a trip and fall hazard.
• Close file cabinet and desk drawers after use. Doing so eliminates trip and fall hazards.

Just because it looks good doesn’t mean it’s the appropriate footward for your work. A slip and fall can happen whenever there is a loss of traction between the shoe and walking surface. Heels or soles can get caught in cracks or on uneven walking surfaces causing a trip and fall accident. Consider footwear that provides good traction on walking surfaces and, won’t get caught and cause you to trip and fall.