Slips, Trips, and Falls Prevention

Date: 2025-09-29

Duration: [DURATION] minutes

Presenter: [PRESENTER NAME]

Location: [LOCATION]

Objective

To understand the hazards associated with slips, trips, and falls and implement effective control measures to prevent injuries.

Slips, trips, and falls are a major cause of workplace injuries. Most falls result from slips or trips on the same level. [1] [4]

Good Housekeeping: Maintaining a clean and orderly work environment is crucial. This includes cleaning spills immediately, marking wet areas, removing debris, securing mats and rugs, closing file cabinets, covering cables, and ensuring adequate lighting. Without good housekeeping practices, other preventive measures will not be fully effective. [3] [3] [3] [3] [3] [3] [3] [3] [3] [3] [3]
Walking Surfaces: Ensure walking surfaces are in good condition. Repair or replace damaged flooring, install mats or abrasive strips in slippery areas, and use resilient, non-slippery flooring to reduce foot fatigue. [2] [2]
Proper Footwear: Wear appropriate footwear with good traction, especially in oily or wet environments. Consult with manufacturers to select the best footwear for specific conditions. Properly fitting footwear increases comfort and reduces fatigue, improving overall safety. [2] [2]
Safe Walking Practices: Pay attention to your surroundings, take your time, and adjust your stride to suit the walking surface. Walk with your feet pointed slightly outward and make wide turns at corners. [2] [2] [2] [2]
Clear Pathways: Keep walking areas free from clutter, obstructions, and uncovered cables. Ensure adequate lighting and use a flashlight in dark areas. Make sure that carried or pushed items do not block your view. [2] [2] [2] [2]

Wet or oily surfaces: Slips leading to falls, fractures, sprains, or head injuries. [1]
Clutter and obstructions: Trips leading to falls, cuts, bruises, or broken bones. [2]
Poor lighting: Inability to see hazards, increasing the risk of slips, trips, and falls, leading to injuries. [3]
Uneven surfaces: Loss of balance, twisted ankles, and falls, resulting in sprains, strains, or fractures. [3]
Weather hazards (ice, snow): Slips and falls, causing fractures, head trauma, or other serious injuries. [1]

Implement a routine cleaning schedule: Regularly clean and dry floors, especially in high-traffic areas and after spills. [3]
Provide adequate lighting: Ensure all walkways and work areas are well-lit to improve visibility and reduce the risk of tripping over unseen objects. [3]
Use non-slip flooring or coatings: Install non-slip flooring or apply non-slip coatings to surfaces prone to becoming slippery. [2]
Maintain clear walkways: Keep walkways free of clutter, materials, and obstructions to prevent trips. [3]
Wear slip-resistant footwear: Require or recommend employees to wear slip-resistant shoes, especially in environments where floors may be wet or oily. [2]

Slip-Resistant Footwear: Wear slip-resistant footwear, especially in areas prone to wet or oily conditions. Check the soles regularly for wear and replace as needed to maintain adequate traction. [2]

A: Clean it up immediately or mark the area and report it so it can be cleaned safely. [3] [3]

A: Slip-resistant shoes with good traction are recommended, especially in wet or oily environments. [2]

Recap of main points:

Slips, trips, and falls are preventable with proper awareness and control measures.
Good housekeeping, proper footwear, and safe walking practices are essential.
Report and address hazards promptly to maintain a safe work environment.

Specific actions participants should take:

Report all hazards, near-misses, and incidents to your supervisor immediately.