Slips,
trips, and falls
Introduction/Background
OSHA Standard(s)
Hazard
Prevention & Control
FAQs
Links
Introduction
Slips, trips, and falls cause the majority of general industry
accidents. They cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are
second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities [check
this. Came from an OSHA document but it was old, and I’m
guessing it’s work-related falls etc]. Slips trips and
falls can result in head injuries, back injuries, broken bones,
cuts and lacerations, or sprained muscles.
A substantial number of farm workplace injuries
– even some fatalities – have resulted from a
“simple” fall. As a manager or owner, it’s
your responsibility to eliminate slip and trip hazards to
the greatest extent possible.
It’s your employees’ responsibility
to adopt habits that will reduce their chances of being injured
in a fall. Make sure they get the training and reinforcement
they need to make a habit of working safe.
OSHA CFR 1910.22
he Occupational Safety and Health Act requires
employers to comply with hazard-specific safety and health
standards. Section
5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, often
referred to as the General Duty Clause, employers
must provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized
hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
OSHA has previously used the General Duty
Clause to cite employers that have allowed employees to be
exposed to potential serious physical harm related to cluttered
walkway surfaces which limited egress in case of fire; failing
to ensure that fixed ladders attached to feed bins in barns
were inspected and repaired as necessary to prevent fall hazards;
exposing workers to falling into manure lagoons during night
vehicle off loading operations;
Walking/working surfaces are addressed in
specific OSHA standards 1910.22
and Fixed Ladders are addressed in 1910.27
for the general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals,
and longshoring. The OSHA standards 1910.22 and .27 apply
to all permanent places of employment, EXCEPT where only domestic,
mining, or agricultural work is performed. The General
Duty Clause has been used to cite agricultural and pork production
employers for walking surfaces and fixed ladders violations.
The hog producer employer should be familiar with
these standards and apply them to their operation for the
safety of their employees.
Hazards
There are many situations that can cause slips, trips, and
falls, such as ice, wet spots, grease, polished floors, loose
flooring, uneven walking surfaces, clutter, electrical cords,
and damaged and/or loose ladders. The controls needed to prevent
these hazards are usually obvious, but too often ignored,
such as keeping walkways and stairs clear of scrap and debris;
coiling up extension cords, lines, and hoses when not in use;
keeping electrical and other wires out of the way; wearing
lug soles in icy weather; clearing parking lots, stairs, and
walkways in snowy weather; and using salt/sand as needed.
Prevention &
Control
The employer shall eliminate, to the extent
possible, conditions causing slippery working and walking
surfaces immediate work areas used by employees. [the following
list is from OSHA web site fact sheets and is included verbatim
in the PPSS manual]
- Clear debris and make sure
that alleyways, stairs, and exits are not blocked.
- Make sure floor areas that
cannot be cleaned continuously, like entranceways, have
anti-slip surfaces.
- Replace any worn, ripped
or damaged flooring that poses a tripping hazard.
- Ensure that all exits are
clearly marked and well-lit.
Cover cables that cross walkways.
- Make sure all trap doors
and railings are sturdy and in good repair.
- Provide adequate lighting
for facilities and trailers – inside and out.
- See that work areas are
clean and orderly, and that spills are cleaned up promptly.
- Make barn lime [change this
term to be more accurate] available in “slippery zones”
(areas prone to being slippery with water, urine, or manure),
so your employees can spread it as needed to increase traction.
[Although lime is not a registered
pesticide, it has been endorsed by EPA as a means to control
pathogens in sewage sludge (biosolids). It controls the
environment required for bacterial growth. http://www.lime.org/faqs.html.
The term agricultural lime, or "aglime," usually
refers to limestone.
Limestone (calcium carbonate) is not the same as hydrated
lime (calcium hydroxide).
This section could be confusing if people are not clear
on lime.
Aglime as limestone, is different than hydrated or quick
lime, both of which can cause irritation to skin/eyes etc.
– ms]
- Make slip-resistant footwear
mandatory for all employees. [Clarify
what exactly is “slip-resistant footwear”. For
pork producers, this recommendation should say, “Make
slip-resistant and steel-toed footwear mandatory for all
employees.” ] [also, I went into more detail on footwear
on the PPE page]
Develop a Ladder Program
- Replace ladders that have
cracks, dents, and missing rungs.
- Develop and implement written
procedures requiring that prompt corrective action is taken
any time a damaged ladder is identified.
- Develop and implement a
program and procedures to ensure that employees report damage
as it occurs and take action to ensure that the ladders
are not abused/neglected.
- Make sure all employees
receive training on the proper methods for safely using
ladders.
- Make sure that all ladders
are promptly repaired when they are identified as damaged
or defective.
- Conduct regular inspections
of your facility/buildings to look for slip, trip, and fall
hazards. I added this; not in NPB
materials. – ms
- Provide illumination for
dangerous areas. I added this; not
in NPB materials. It’s an abatement recommendation
from OSHA.
- Investigate all trips,
slips, and falls of your employees, even if there was no
injury. I added this. Not in NPB materials.
-- ms
FAQs
Q: Can I be sued if an employee slips or falls
while at work?
A: Michele doesn’t
know, which is why she put this in here.
LINKS
(expanded background, facts and resources)
• Small
Business Handbook. OSHA Publication 2209-02R, pdf (2005).
o Walkways
o Floor and Wall Openings
o Stairs and Stairways
o Elevated Surfaces
Walking-Working
Surfaces. OSHA's Outreach Training Program, 3.0 MB ZIP.
Assists trainers conducting OSHA 10-hour General Industry
outreach training for workers. Since workers are the target
audience, the material emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance,
and control — not standards. No attempt has been made
to treat the topic exhaustively. [This
training is from 2001. Not sure how it could possibly take
10 hours to go through 21 ppt slides and 3 pages of notes,
but that what it says. I might be missing something. -- ms]
The following links will provide further
detail for employee protection around openings in floors,
ladders, stairs, and scaffolding.
1910 Subpart D - Walking-Working Surfaces
1910.21
- Definitions.
1910.22
- General requirements.
1910.23
- Guarding floor and wall openings and holes.
1910.24
- Fixed industrial stairs.
1910.25
- Portable wood ladders.
1910.26
- Portable metal ladders.
1910.27
- Fixed ladders.
1910.28
- Safety requirements for scaffolding.
1910.29
- Manually propelled mobile ladder stands and scaffolds (towers).
1910.30
- Other working surfaces.
| |
