Slip& Fall Prevention Secrets7 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR

PEOPLE ON THEIR

FEET AND OSHA

OFF YOUR BACK.

P A P E R

INCLUDES BONUS: Floor Audit Checklist and information

you’ll only find here.

IntroductionJack is having a bad day. First, his CNC machine blows a hydraulic line, and that puts him behind schedule. Then his wife sends him a text during his lunch break to tell him she’s going to be late and to pick up their son from basketball practice. Great. Hurrying back to his workstation, Jack is wondering how he’s going to make it across town to get his lawnmower from the repair shop and not leave his kid waiting at school after practice. He doesn’t notice that puddle of hydraulic fluid next to his machine. When he steps onto the platform, his oily foot slides out from under him and he hits the concrete — hard. His bruises and concussion keep him off work for five days and put him on light duty for five more.

Every day, accidents like Jack’s happen in plants across the US. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that slips, trips and falls at the same level (falls that are not from an elevated height) are the leading cause of OSHA- recordable injuries, racking up over 152,000 lost work days every year. And that’s just the beginning:

n Slips, trips and falls make up almost 20% of all job-related injuries.

n The average cost of a single slip, trip and fall injury is more than $20,000.

n 1 in 6 of all lost-time work injuries result from slips, trips and falls with an average of 11 days away from work.

n Slips, trips and falls account for 15 to 20% of all workers’ compensation expenses.

n US businesses spend over $36 billion a year in workers’ comp, insurance premiums and lost productivity.

n 20 – 30% of people who slip and fall will suffer moderate to severe injuries such as bruises, hip fractures or head injuries.

n According to OSHA, slips, trips and falls cause 15% of all accidental deaths and are second only to motor vehicles.

OSHA estimates that over six million facilities in the US are regulated under their Subpart D Standards, which require workplace floors to be “maintained in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition” (29 CFR 1910.22). But unlike other standards covering hearing, respiratory protection and hazard communication, OSHA doesn’t require a written floor safety plan.

So it’s up to you. National Floor Safety Institute studies show that walking surfaces are the biggest hazard.

7 secrets to slip and fall prevention.Wet floors. Bunched-up mats. Crumbled concrete. Clutter in walkways. How many of these common problems will you find at your facility?

The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) says that by evaluating your hazards and establishing a comprehensive safety program you can reduce your slip, trip and fall incident rate by as much as 90%. You just need to know where to get started.

1. Corral those contaminants.In most facilities, floor contamination is persistent, widespread and takes ongoing effort to manage. Whether you’re dealing with leaks, drips, spills or overspray, liquids can make your floor as slippery as a skating rink. But it’s not just liquids — dust, powders and shavings can also create slipping hazards. Remember: a clean, dry floor is a safe floor.

Start here in your floor audit.

What to look for:

n Water n Oil

n Grease

n Fluids

n Lubricants

n Coolants

n Process overspray

n Dust, powders and shavings

Where to look:

n Entrances

n Work areas

n Walkways

n Drum storage and dispensing areas

n Wash-down areas

n Loading dock bays

n Garage bays

n Restrooms

n Break rooms

Absorbent mat pads are a geat way to control machine leaks.

Keep a spill kit or supply of absorbents near spill-prone areas for fast cleanups.

How it gets there:

n Machine leaks

n Spilled containers

n Wet process overspray

n Milling, cutting and sanding

n Leaking drums and containers

n Dripping pipes

n Tracked liquids from wet areas

n Drips from sinks and water coolers

How to fix it:

n Wrap absorbent socks around machine bases

n Place absorbent mat pads under dripping machines and pipes

n Keep spill kits in all spill-prone areas

n Stock absorbent mat pads, socks and wipers in work, dispensing and storage areas

n Line walkways with traffic absorbent mat to catch overspray

n Vacuum or sweep up dry materials with an electrostatic mop

n Place non-slip runners and mats in entrances

Bringing in the bucket brigade.

Regular floor cleaning will remove dirt, grime and oily residues to increase traction — but a “more is better” approach will backfire. If your maintenance crew is compounding your slick floor problem by using too much cleaner, the wrong cleaner or the wrong cleaning method, then you need to make adjustments to eliminate this hazard. Check with your maintenance supply vendor about the best chemicals and cleaning methods for your floor.

One last thing — try to schedule floor cleaning when the fewest people are working. It seems obvious, but if your plant runs multiple shifts, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Do you have inactive work areas

during evening and night shifts? Do you run a skeleton crew or shut down on weekends? Does your plant have periodic maintenance or retooling shutdowns? These are all prime floor-cleaning

opportunities.

Absorbent socks keep leaks from spreading into work areas and walkways.

2. Create some friction.

Some floors are just slipperier than others — even without contaminants. The NFSI estimates that problems with a floor’s surface cause 55% of slip and fall injuries, followed by employees wearing the wrong type of shoes, which causes 24% of injuries. Brushed concrete, abrasive vinyl and seamless epoxy with surface aggregate offer more slip resistance, but how do you know if it’s enough? Even OSHA acknowledges that “slip-resistance can vary from surface to surface, or even on the same surface, depending upon conditions and employee footwear.”

The only sure way to separate the safe from the slippery is to have floor surfaces evaluated by a certified walkway auditor for Coefficient of Friction (COF). Using a tool called a tribometer, the auditor can measure either the Static or Dynamic COF and provide a baseline reading to help you determine where your floors need attention.

OSHA doesn’t have an official mandate for COF on walking surfaces, but says that “a COF of 0.5…is recommended as a guide to achieve proper slip resistance. A COF of 0.5 is not intended to be an absolute standard value. A higher COF may be necessary for certain work tasks, such as carrying objects, pushing or pulling objects, or walking up or down ramps.”

Here’s how you can create some friction:

n Use epoxy or urethane coatings, anti-slip paints, chemical etching or adhesive strips to increase traction.

n Add non-slip finishes to marble, terrazzo and other hard surfaces.

n Make sure areas where the floor surfaces change have similar COF values. If that’s not an option, use high-traction mats or warning signs to give a person time to adjust to the new surface.

n Set clear guidelines to make sure all your employees wear the right shoes. Slip-resistant shoes are usually designed to handle a par-ticular environment and have different tread patterns for water, vegetable oils, motor oils or chemicals.

n Establish shoe change-out schedules. The ASTM Committee on Pedestrian/Walkway Safety and Footwear says you should replace shoes when you can place two pennies on an area of the sole that has been worn smooth.

Testing with a tribometer is the only sure way to know the Coefficient of Friction of your floor.

3. Smooth things out.

Changes in elevation of 1⁄4" or gaps of more than 1⁄2" create tripping hazards. Ignore those cracks in the floor, crumbling and missing tiles, warped vinyl or buckled carpets and it’s a sure bet someone will take a header. This is where your maintenance crew needs to be on their toes to keep your employees on their feet.

What to look for:

n Uneven floors

n Cracks and gaps

n Crumbling walkways

n Lifting or missing tiles

n Buckled carpets and vinyl flooring

n High transitions

Where to look:

n Plant floors

n Loading docks

n Garage bays

n Entrances

n Stairwells

n Restrooms

n Break rooms

n Outdoor walks

How to fix it:

n Resurface crumbling or cracked concrete. n Replace or repair loose or buckled carpeting. n Replace or repair indented or warped vinyl flooring. n Replace cracked or missing tiles. n Patch cracks greater than 1⁄2" wide. n Grind down uneven surfaces greater than 1⁄4" high or indicate changes in

elevation with safety yellow warning paint.

If your walkway looks like this, it’s time for some TLC.

Make patching the cracks part of your regular facility maintenance.

4. Look up, look down.

Chances are, if it’s falling from the sky it’s going make your floor slippery. Keeping outdoor walkways clear of snow and ice is a no-brainer, but managing the weather-related slop that drips, tracks or runs in can be a challenge. Good entrance mats are an obvious must-have for keeping your floor dry, but there are plenty of other places where weather can cause slip and fall injuries.

Is rain or melting snow coming in under garage doors or dripping from trucks onto loading docks? Does your roof leak every time it rains? Does humid weather create condensation that drips from rafters and pipes? Does a change in temperature or humidity make your concrete floor damp and slick? If you said yes to any of these questions, read on.

What to look for:

n Water seeping under doors into work areas, walkways, loading areas and garage bays

n Water being tracked from loading docks into loading and work areas

n Roof leaks or condensation dripping onto the floor

n Slick spots caused by temperature or humidity

Where to look:

n Warehouses

n Garages

n Storage buildings

n Loading docks

n Unheated areas in your plant

How to fix it:

n Hang leak diverters to catch roof leaks and condensation.

n Put absorbent socks in front of doors to keep water out.

n Place walk-on absorbent mats around loading docks.

n Keep a spill kit or a supply of absorbents in areas where water is a problem.

n Treat concrete floors with anti-slip paints, chemical etching or adhesive strips to increase traction.

Hang leak diverters to keep roof leaks and dripping condensation from hitting your floor.

5. Shed some light.

You can’t avoid a hazard you can’t see. If your parking lot is lit up but your walkways are in shadow, someone will find a way to fall. The same will happen in dark corners of the parking garage, in stairwells and hallways. Still lighting that storage room with a bare 40-watt bulb hanging from a rafter? Time to do better.

These three simple solutions will help you light things up:

n Install more and better light fixtures where you need them.

n Use fixtures that emit light from all sides and make sure it’s bright enough for the ares.

n Use high-visibility markings and signs to point out transitions and surface changes.

6. Clear the clutter.

Clutter creates chaos. That’s why the safest facilities do the best housekeeping. When electrical cords, wires, boxes, and parts end up in walkways or block work areas, they create tripping hazards and interrupt workflow. Clearing the clutter gives you better control of tools, materials, workspaces and processes while it reduces fire hazards, employee exposure to dangerous substances, accidental spills and maintenance costs.

With a good housekeeping program you can manage the storage and movement of materials through your plant with minimal handling. This keeps your workflow organized and helps your employees work safely with the materials they use. It also helps to create a culture where cleaning and organization are part every employee’s job.

Use these tips to help your facility stay neat, clean and organized:

n Create housekeeping procedures that are part of each employee’s daily routine.

n Train employees on good housekeeping procedures.

n Wipe up spills and clean up messes as they happen.

n Remove unused materials at the end of every task.

n Provide waste disposal that matches waste generation for each area.

n Inspect work areas to maintain standards and reinforce expectations.

Stock each work area with housekeeping supplies and train employees on procedures.

7. Roll out the right carpet.

Floor mats, absorbent mats and carpets are a blessing and a curse. Use them the right way — in the right places — and it’s problem solved. Use them incorrectly and you’ve created a bigger problem. Entry mats and rental rugs are great for keeping water and dirt from being tracked into your facility, but use them in a cart traffic area and all they do is bunch up under the wheels and hold up production. As a general rule, when you put down an absorbent mat, carpet or runner to help prevent slips, trips and falls, make sure it fits the area and provides the right absorbency and traction to do the job.

Here are some other tips to help you roll out the right carpet:

n Make sure entrance mats lie flat, don’t slide and provide enough absorbency for the traffic level and weather conditions.

n Replace mats that are curled, ripped or worn out.

n Use non-slip mats in transition areas or where the floor is frequently wet.

n Use high-traffic absorbent mats that stay flat in wheeled traffic areas.

n Use anti-fatigue mats with beveled or high-visibility edging that are made specifically for wet or dry floor conditions.

n Line floors with walk-on absorbent mats where overspray is a problem.

Rental rugs and carts are a bad combination. Use a high-traffic absorbent mat where you have carts rolling through.

Make it stick.

Finding your slip, trip and fall hazards is a good first step, but to fix them for the long term you need a written floor safety program. Involve employees and come up with easy fixes and simple procedures that everyone will follow. Train and retrain. Communicate. Provide the tools and supplies to carry out the mission. Set goals and reward achievement. Talk about slip, trip and fall safety at every opportunity. And lead by example.

The National Floor Safety Institute says a written safety program can reduce your slip, trip and fall incident rate by as much as 90% — and that means your OSHA-reportable incidents and insurance costs will go down. Your employees will be safer, more productive and happier on the job. And you can’t argue with that.

Use the checklist on the next 3 pages to take the first step towards safer floors.

Slip & Fall Prevention Secrets Checklist

continued on next page

Water

Oil

Grease

Fluid

Lubricant

Coolant

Process overspray

Dust

Powder

Shavings

Other

Location(s) Condition Test Coefficient of Friction: YES NO

Substance Location(s) Source

1. Floor Contamination

2. Slippery Floor Surfaces

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Slip & Fall Prevention Secrets Checklist

continued on next page

Crumbling concrete

Uneven surface – more than 1⁄4"

High transition

Gaps more than 1⁄2"

Cracks in surface

Lifting tiles

Missing tiles

Buckled carpet

Buckled vinyl

Other

Rain/snow seeping under doors

Rain/snow being tracked

Icy walkways

Roof leaks

Pipe leaks

Condensation dripping

Slippery floor – humidity

Slippery floor – temperature

Other

Install lighting

Improve lighting

Add high-visibility marking/signs

Other

Problem Location(s)

Problem Location(s)

Problem Location(s)

3. Floor Condition

4. Weather

5. Lighting

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Slip & Fall Prevention Secrets Checklist

Blocked aisles

Debris

Protruding objects

Tripping hazards

Messy work areas

Messy storage areas

Messy dispensing areas

Spills

Other

Worn entrance mats

Curled/bunched rugs or mats

Mat/rug slides

Area needs absorbent mat

Area needs traffic absorbent mat

Area needs transition mat

Area needs anti-fatigue mat

Other

Problem Location(s)

Problem Location(s)

6. Clutter

7. Mats and Rugs

Notes

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