The Ups and Downs of Slip Trips and Falls 10/22/2014

Transcription

1 The Ups and Downs of Slips, Trips and Falls Creating a Prevention Strategy This webinar begins at 11 a.m., Eastern. You will not hear anything over your telephone line until the program starts. If the system did not prompt you to enter your phone number and receive a call back, call the following number and enter the session number. Phone number for presentation access: (408) Session number: Password: Falls COPYRIGHTED 1 Password: Mobility COPYRIGHTED 2 The Ups and Downs of Slips, Trips and Falls Creating a Prevention Strategy October 22, 2014 This presentation is a work product of Coverys Workers Compensation Services. This information is intended to provide general guidelines for educational purposes. It is not intended and should not be construed as legal or medical advice. The viewpoints expressed in this presentation are those of the speaker and are not necessarily views endorsed by Coverys. 1

2 Your Presenter Darrell G. Toenjes ARM, CHSP, CWCP Healthcare Practice Leader Midwest Employers Casualty Company (636) The Ups and Downs of Slips, Trips & Falls Creating a Prevention Strategy Slips, Trips, and Falls Facts A 2005 Liberty Mutual study concluded: Falls on the same level were the second leading cause of all workplace injuries Costs associated with slips and falls grew 10.4% between 2002 and 2003 when most workplace injuries experienced a substantial reduction in their rate of growth On average, workers who are injured from a same level slip or fall miss an average of 8 days and 30% of all same level slip or fall miss 21 or more days 2

3 Slips, Trips, and Falls Facts The National Safety Council concluded: Workers compensation and medical costs associated with employee slips and falls are approximately $70 billion per year Slips and falls are the leading cause of death in the workplace Slips and falls account for more than 20% of all disabling injuries Objectives Define slips, trips, and falls Learn the components of a slips, trips, and fall program Understand the contributing factors to slips, trips, and falls Discuss solutions to preventing slips, trips, and falls Slips Loss of balance caused by too little friction between a person s foot and a walking surface Common causes: Wet or oily surfaces Patient rooms Hallways Cafeteria Occasional spills Cafeteria Patient areas Weather hazards Lobby Parking lots and sidewalks Loose, unanchored rugs or mats Flooring or other walking surfaces that are worn 3

4 Trips Hit an object, lose your balance and fall Common causes: Obstructed view Poor lighting Clutter in your way Beds Equipment Carpet hazards Uncovered cables Drawers not being closed Uneven (steps, thresholds) walking surfaces Note: As little as a 3/8 rise in a walkway can cause someone to stub the toe and fall. Falls When you lose your balance and drop to the floor Three types of falls: 1. Falls on the same level Slip or trip immediately precedes fall to floor or walkway 2. Falls to lower level Falls are from ladders, steps, or stairs 3. Jumps to lower level An intentional jump from one level to another Employee jumps off ladder, equipment Center of gravity R foot slides forward Loss of right heel traction R Heel Strike Source: Vector Scientific 4

5 Center of gravity CG falls and slip dynamics induce rearward rotation R foot slides forward Loss of right heel traction R Heel Strike R foot continues to L foot/leg cannot slide forward provide sufficient stability Loss of Balance Source: Vector Scientific Center of Gravity CG falls and slip dynamics induce rearward rotation Resulting in posterior and/or lateral contact and resulting trauma (e.g., buttocks, hips, spine, head) R foot slides forward Loss of right heel traction R Heel Strike R foot continues to L foot/leg cannot slide forward provide sufficient stability Loss of Balance Fall Back and/or to Side Source: Vector Scientific Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents Footwear 24% Fraud 10% Flooring 50% Hazard Identification 9% Training 7% Source: National Floor Safety Institute 5

6 Slips Coefficient of Friction (COF): The amount of friction between the shoe and the walking surface Icy surface with leather shoes.5 Good traction 1.0 Brushed concrete with rubber heel One Part Floor and One Part Shoe Note: Although people walk differently, a consistent coefficient of friction between.25 and.3 is required. Longer strides require a higher coefficient of friction. Floor Auditing Benefits Verifies compliance with industry standards Demonstrates proper floor maintenance procedures Strengthens legal defense Reduces slip-and-fall risk by identifying highrisk areas Source: National Floor Safety Institute 6

7 Transitions Curbs with Little Contrast Steps and Curbs with Visual Contrast 7

8 Stair Fall Causes Stairway design and construction Width, depth, and height of steps Lack of handrails Handrail at wrong heights Improper tread and riser dimensions or variation Step surface material Components of a Fall Management Process Loss control/ prevention strategies Housekeeping and maintenance Management responsibility Floor surface selection and treatment Management Responsibility Who is involved Architects Others Facilities Management Legal Management Responsibility Risk Management and Safety Source: Maynard, W.S., The Aging Workforce: Implications For Managing Slips, Trips, and Falls, The Eastern Ergonomics Conference and Exposition, NYC, May 30, Human Resources Housekeeping and Maintenance 8

9 Floor and Stair Surfaces When choosing materials, ask: What kinds of spills are likely? What are the sanitary requirements? Will the area have heavy traffic? Is it normally a wet environment? Are aesthetic effects a concern? Where will the floor be installed (e.g., is it an entrance)? Source: Maynard, W.S., The Aging Workforce: Implications For Managing Slips, Trips, and Falls, The Eastern Ergonomics Conference and Exposition, NYC, May 30, Slipmeter The Horizontal Pull Slipmeter is a laboratory and field instrument designed to provide information about the slip index characteristics between walkway surfaces and a test foot material under dry conditions only. Measurement Devices The Binary Output Tribometer or BOT-3000 is a portable robotic device for both laboratory and on-site testing of dry and wet static and dynamic coefficient of friction. Since the BOT is an automated unit that can be calibrated in the field, user error or variability is minimized. 9

10 Housekeeping Entrance Floor Mats Benefits Traps moisture and debris Reduces floor maintenance costs by protecting the floor surface and finish Designed and placed so as not to create additional fall hazard Rule of thumb You should not be able to see footprints after stepping off mat (wet) Source: Maynard, W.S., The Aging Workforce: Implications For Managing Slips, Trips, and Falls, The Eastern Ergonomics Conference and Exposition, NYC, May 30, Loss Prevention Strategies Three-step loss prevention program 1. Identify the risks 2. Implement training procedures 3. Document your procedures 1. Identify the Risks Inspect your premises. Statistics show that slip and fall accidents typically occur as follows: Walkways Lobby Patient hallways Staircases Parking lots Ramps 10

11 Inspect your Premises Indoors Surfaces may be irregular due to age, broken uneven flooring, deterioration, or sagging Carpets often are not properly secured Terrazzo becomes very slippery when wet Inspect your Premises Staircases Poorly illuminated stairway Irregular steps Damaged or slippery step Lack of intermediate landings Doors swinging into path of individuals using stairways Inspect your Premises Parking lots A high percentage of slip and falls occur in parking lots due to: Cracks Potholes Deterioration Rain, ice, snow Poor Illumination 11

12 2. Implement Training Procedures Staff training should include: How to identify hazards How to fix hazards promptly when they can What the effects of slip and fall claims are to the organization 2. Implement Training Procedures Staff training should also include: How to warn of hazards when they can t fix them promptly Placing signs such as Caution: Wet Floor in front of spills, newly washed floors, wet entryways, etc. Blocking off hazardous area 3. Document Your Procedures Documenting your inspection and maintenance procedures will be powerful evidence that you took a reasonable standard of care to ensure your premises were kept safe for employees and visitors 12

13 3. Document Your Procedures To reduce your risk, best-practices include: Inspection logs to record who is responsible and when the inspection was done Maintenance logs to track what repairs were made, hazards fixed Easy hazard report forms for employees to complete and give to supervisors Summary Traction/Friction Floor Choice Maintenance/Housekeeping Inspect/Document Password: Mobility COPYRIGHTED 39 13

14 For More Information Janice Homola, ARM, Sr. Consultant Loss Prevention Services (248) The survey is available here: Taped webinars are available in the Members Only Section at: COPYRIGHTED 40 Questions? 14