Trip Injuries and Prevention

There are many times when the hazards with the most severe outcomes are focused on more than the common hazards found in a workplace. A good example of a common hazard that can be overlooked is trip hazards. It is important to give attention to trip hazards in your work area to prevent yourself from being injured or a coworker.

Trip Injuries in the Workplace:

Trips are lumped into the same category as slips and falls in most injury statistic data. While it is difficult to separate trip injury data from the other two, the overall data of this category of injuries is staggering. According to the 2017 edition of “Injury Facts,” a National Safety Council chart book, injuries from slips, trips and falls resulted in 247,120 cases involving days away from work, and 818 worker deaths in 2014. While falls are undoubtedly responsible for the majority of the fatalities, trips cause far too many injuries in the workplace.

Common Trip Hazards Found in Workplaces:

There is an endless list of possible trip hazards found in a workplace. Some common ones to look for in your work area today:

• Extension cords
• Tools, equipment,materials
• Debris
• Cracks in floor
• Spaces or holes in flooring
• Changes in elevation
• Unexpected sloping
• Loose carpet or rugs

Certain environmental factors of a workplace can also increase the chance of a trip occurring
when paired with the above hazards.

Common Environmental Factors that Increase Risk of Trip Incidents:

• Glare
• Poor lighting
• Shadows
• Excessive dust
• Noise
• Temperature extremes
• Distractive work environment

Best Practices to Eliminate Trip Incidents from Occurring:

Eliminating trip hazards is relevantly simple compared to some workplace hazards. Here are a
few ways to lessen the chance someone is injured at your workplace due to a trip incident.

1. Eliminate as many trip hazards through proper housekeeping and work area
   setup. Poor housekeeping leads to the majority of trip hazards in most
   workplaces.
2. Paint or mark changes in elevation with bright paint or signage to alert others of the
   danger.
3. Have any open holes, cracks, spaces, etc. on walking surfaces repaired as soon as
   possible.
4. Completely block off areas that have excessive trip hazards until fixed or addressed.
5. Tape down cords to the floor or hang them up out of the way so individuals walking
   through the area do not trip on them.

Summary:

Do not let complacency creep in when dealing with addressing trip hazards. Do not underestimate how far simple measures such as good housekeeping practices can go in preventing injuries. Evaluate your work area today for the hazards and environmental conditions mentioned in this safety talk.