FACTS

1. Slips and falls do not constitute a primary cause of fatal occupational injuries, but represent the primary cause of lost days from work.
2. People working in predominantly wet conditions should wear footwear with a pattern that is deep enough to penetrate surface water and make direct contact with a floor. However, people working in predominantly dry conditions should use footwear having flat-bottom construction to ensure maximum contact area with the floor.
3. Ten common slipping hazards include spills of liquid or solid materials; wet cleaning methods; rain or snow inside doorways; changes in floor surfaces, such as joins between carpeting and wood flooring; a change from a wet to a dry surface; dusty or sandy surfaces; the incline of a ramp; loose/bumpy flooring; low light; and unsuitable footwear.
4. Five housekeeping practices that can help reduce slipping hazards in the workplace include removal of debris, snow and ice; prompt cleanup of spills; regular cleaning of floors; providing mats in areas prone to getting wet—such as building entrances; and cleaning the casters on wheeled carts.
5. It takes about seven minutes for a wet-mopped spill to dry, meaning that the area is going to be extremely slippery during that time.
6. According to the American Trucking Association, slips and falls are the leading cause of compensable injury in the trucking industry.
7. Falls occur in virtually all manufacturing and service sectors.

STATS

• 57% of deaths from ladders occur in the construction industry.
• 43% of deaths from slips, trips, and falls occur in the construction industry.
• 20% of falls on the same level are due to trips and 13% are due to slips.
• 11% of falls to a lower level happen when someone falls through a surface or existing opening.
• According to the United States Department of Labor, there has been an increase of over nine percent of fatal slip, trip, and fall accidents from 2013 to 2014.
• The Department of Labor issued a preliminary count of 793 fatal slip, trip, and fall accidents in 2014 (across all industries). Construction sees the highest frequency of both fatal and non-fatal slip, trip, and fall accidents.
• 37% of all reported workplace injuries were as a result of a slip, trip or fall, with 28% of all fatalities in the workplace being caused by a slip, trip or fall.
• On average approximately 50 people die each year from a slip, trip or fall and a great many more are injured – some critically.