This week is Fall Awareness Week, a week which sheds light on the most common workplace injuries: Slips, Trips, and Falls.
At Breakaway Staffing it is our top priority to keep all of our associates safe on the job. Today we want to shed light on what employees and employers can do to prevent these types of injury at work.
Slips/Trips
Slipping or tripping is a common workplace injury and is often caused by a spill or blockage on the floor. Slips and trips are most common when a worker is not paying attention to their surroundings or a mess has not been promptly cleaned up.
The Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides three ways to prevent workplace slips and trips:
Housekeeping – cleaning all spills promptly, removing obstacles from work area, marking wet areas, keeping work areas well lit
Flooring – Modifying or replacing flooring/mats to prevent slips and trips
Footwear – Ensuring workers are wearing the proper footwear for the conditions they will be working in
Falling from Heights
Falling from heights happens when a worker falls from an elevated level. This type of workplace injury can occur due to a slip, improper protective clothing, or improper training.
The Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides 4 ways to prevent falls from heights in the workplace:
Risk Assessment – identify any hazards related to the work being done at heights. This work should be planned, supervised, and not carried out in bad weather
Fall Protection Plan – companies require a fall protection plan when workers are working at a vertical height between 10-25 feet. The plan should include potential hazards, protections in place, and procedures for fall protection equipment
Training and Supervision – employers must ensure that workers know how to use and maintain their fall protection gear as well as provide appropriate training to ensure proper use of the gear at all times
Fall Protection – any worker at risk of falling more than 3 metres should use a fall protection system. Examples include guardrails, work positioning devices, fall arrest systems, the lanyard, or safety netting
By following the tips above we can all work together to stay safe on the job!
Sources:
http://www.arbill.com/arbill-safety-blog/bid/202877/Top-10-Most-Common-Workplace-Injuries
https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html
http://www.ccohs.ca/newsletters/hsreport/issues/2013/05/ezine.html