RACHEL BACCIGALOPI
Civilian Injury Prevention Directorate
U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center
Fort Rucker, Alabama
Slips, trips and falls accounted for approximately 34 percent of total Department of the Army Civilian injury cases during fiscal 2015. With millions of dollars and thousands of lost work hours on the line, we must make prevention of these type incidents a priority in every Army workplace. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when determining how best to focus your injury reduction efforts.
Environmental/workplace considerations:
- Practice good housekeeping.
- Reduce wet or slippery surfaces by recoating or replacing floors, ensuring adequate drainage, or installing mats and pressure-sensitive abrasive strips.
- Report ice, snow or water accumulation on walking surfaces.
- Keep aisles and walkways clear of obstacles and clutter.
- Keep desk and file cabinet drawers closed.
- Remove trip hazards like electrical cords, hoses, cables, etc.
- Whenever feasible, ensure all elevated working surfaces 4 feet or higher have platforms, railings and toe boards to provide permanent, secure access to raised maintenance areas and devices.
Procedural/behavioral considerations:
- Maintain three points of contact (two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand) when climbing/descending ladders.
- Participate in safety committees and report slips, trips and falls hazards.
- Avoid carrying materials that obstruct vision or trying to carry too much.
- Wear proper footwear for the environment/workplace.
- Use special care when entering and exiting vehicles.
- Use handrails when going up and down stairs.
- Be cognizant of surroundings (i.e., avoid walking and texting).
- For elevated working surfaces 4 feet or higher where engineering controls are not sufficient, have administrative controls in place and wear personal protective equipment:
- Administrative controls, e.g., employee training or written programs/policies in place.
- PPE, e.g., positioning, restraint and personal fall arrest systems.
The USACRC has developed several slips, trips and falls tools, including a training support package, to assist with injury reduction efforts. This package contains an entertaining training video, lesson plan, training presentation, briefing template for site-specific edits or additions, posters and supporting reference materials. It and other updated resources are available at https://safety.army.mil.