Managing the best floor safety practices
Adequate lighting to ensure proper vision is also important in the prevention of slips and falls. Moving from light to dark areas, or vice versa, can cause temporary vision problems that might be just enough to cause a person to slip on an oil spill or trip over a misplaced object.
Proper housekeeping in work and walking areas can contribute to safety and the prevention of falls. Not only is it important to maintain a safe working environment and walking surface, these areas must also be kept free of obstacles that can cause slips and trips. Adequate lighting to ensure proper vision is also important in the prevention of slips and falls. Moving from light to dark areas, or vice versa, can cause temporary vision problems that might be just enough to cause a person to slip on an oil spill or trip over a misplaced object.
Carrying an oversized object can also obstruct one’s vision and result in a slip or a trip:
This is a particularly serious problem on stairs. In addition to wearing the wrong footwear, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Services says there are specific behaviors that can lead to slips, trips and falls.
Walking too fast or running can cause major problems:
In normal walking, the most force is exerted when the heel strikes the ground, but in fast walking or running, one lands harder on the heel of the front foot and pushes harder off the sole of the rear foot; thus, a greater COF is required to prevent slips and falls. Rapid changes in direction create a similar problem. Other problems that can lead to slips, trips and falls are: distractions; not watching where one is going; carrying materials which obstruct view; wearing sunglasses in low-light areas; and failure to use handrails. These and other behaviors, caused by lack of knowledge, impatience, or bad habits developed from past experiences, can lead to falls, injuries or even death.
Slips are primarily caused by a slippery surface and compounded by wearing the wrong footwear. In normal walking, two types of slips occur. The first of these occurs as the heel of the forward foot contacts the walking surface. Then, the front foot slips forward, and the person falls backward. The second type of fall occurs when the rear foot slips backward. The force to move forward is on the sole of the rear foot. As the rear heal is lifted and the force moves forward to the front of the sole, the foot slips back and the person falls. The force that allows you to walk without slipping is commonly referred to as “traction.” Common experience shows that dry concrete sidewalks have good traction, while icy surfaces or freshly waxed floors can have low traction.
Technically, traction is measured as the “coefficient of friction.” A higher coefficient of friction means more friction, and therefore more traction. The coefficient of friction depends on two things: the quality of both the walking surface and the soles of your shoes. To prevent slips and falls, a high coefficient of friction (COF) between the shoe and walking surface is needed. On icy, wet, and oily surfaces, the COF can be as low as 0.10 with shoes that are not slip resistant. A COF of 0.40 to 0.50 or more is needed for excellent traction. To put these figures in perspective, a brushed concrete surface and a rubber heel will often show a COF greater than 1.0. Leather soles on a wet smooth surface, such as ceramic tile or ice, may have a COF as low as 0.10. Providing dry walking and working surfaces and slip-resistant footwear is the answer to slips and their resultant falls and injuries. Obviously, high heels, with minimal heel-to-surface contact, taps on heels, and shoes with leather or other hard, smooth-surfaced soles lead to slips, falls, and injuries. Shoes with rubbercleated, soft soles and heels provide a high COF.
In work areas where the walking and working surface is likely to be slippery, non-skid strips or floor coatings should be used. Since a COF of 0.40 to 0.50 is preferred for walking and working surfaces, strive for a surface that provides a minimum of 50 percent of this friction. If the working surface is very slippery, no footwear will provide a safe COF.
“Trip and fall” trips occur when the front foot strikes an object and is suddenly stopped. The upper body is then thrown forward, be used. Since a COF of 0.40 to 0.50 is preferred for walking and working surfaces, strive for a surface that provides a minimum of 50 percent of this friction. If the working surface is very slippery, no footwear will provide a safe COF. “Trip and fall” trips occur when the front foot strikes an object and is suddenly stopped. The upper body is then thrown forward, and a fall occurs.
As little as a 3/8” rise in a walkway can cause a person to “stub” his toe resulting in a trip and fall. The same thing can happen going up a flight of stairs: only a slight difference in the height of subsequent steps and a person can trip and fall. “Step and fall” is another type of working and walking surface fall. This occurs when the front foot lands on a surface lower than expected, such as when unexpectedly stepping off a curb in the dark. In this type of fall, the person normally falls forward. A second type of step and fall occurs when one steps forward or down, and either the inside or outside of the foot lands on an object higher than the other side. The ankle turns, and one tends to fall forward and sideways.
Falls from loading docks
Loading docks and ramps are dangerous areas. They are frequently congested, heavy-traffic areas, and working and walking surfaces are often wet. Metal dock plates can wear smooth and become very slippery; in particular, the edge of a dock plate invites trips and falls. Accidental backward steps can result in a fall from the dock. Portable railings, which can be easily removed from the edge of the dock, could prevent many dangerous falls.
They are removed when a truck or tractor is at the dock, and replaced as soon as the truck or trailer leaves. Proper housekeeping, well-designed traffic patterns and the use of abrasive, skid-resistant surface coatings will reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls. Ramps and gang-planks have hazards similar to loading docks. The slopes should be as gradual as possible, as wide as possible, and as dry as possible. They should also have skid-resistant surfaces.
Falls on stairs
Stairwells should be well-lighted, with sturdy handrails on both sides. Persons using the stairwell should have one hand free to be able to use the handrail. All the steps should have the same rise and depth, with visible edges. They must be kept free of grease, oil and obstacles that could cause slips and trips. Whenever possible, avoid carrying heavy or bulky objects which obscure your vision and/or require the use of both hands. Carry smaller, lighter loads and make more trips, or obtain help with the load.
