Insurance By Kathy Phillips


PARKING HEALTH SAFETY Slips, Trips & Falls


In the best of circumstances, anyone can slip, trip or fall. As owners and operators, you must keep your garages


and structures as safe as possible. Below are some steps you can take to prevent these types of injuries from occurring on your properties.


FACTS The National Safety Council (NSC) notes that slips and


falls are the most common reasons for an emergency room vis- it. The most frequent types of injuries are those to the back, shoulder, elbow, wrist and knee. In general, joint injuries tend to be most common. Per the U.S. Department of Labor, an average slip and fall


injury costs about $28,000, which in turn puts financial strain on individuals as well as companies where such an injury occurs. Slips and falls are the third-largest cause of workplace injuries. Within North America, they lead to about 104 million lost work- days each year, and in turn, end up costing approximately $36 billion annually.


REGULATIONS The two primary regulatory standards that apply to slips,


trips and falls are OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22Walking-Working Sur- faces and ANSI’s A1264.2-2006 Provision for the Slip Resistance onWalking/Working Surfaces. The causes of slips, trips and falls vary considerably and can


include one or more of the following: •Walkway surface substances and spills (e.g., oil, water or other liquid surface contamination).


• Lack of training and/or knowledge about slips, trips and falls.


• Mats or rugs that become unanchored or loose. •Weather-related conditions such as rain, snow and ice. • Use of inappropriate footwear. •Walkway surfaces that are in disrepair. • Sheen or smooth walkway surfaces that do not allow for adequate footwear-traction.


Believe it or not, about 70% of slips, trips and falls occur on


level walking surfaces. Training employees on awareness of slip, trip, and fall hazards and methods to prevent them is essential to reducing the likelihood of becoming a statistic. Once they are trained and made aware, common sense also plays an important role in preventing slips, trips and falls.


PREVENTION OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)


offers some very good floor-safety recommendations, including: • Keep floor surfaces clean and dry. • Provide and maintain adequate drainage. • Make sure wet-floor warning signs are posted. • Maintain clear aisles and passageways, and prevent obstructions in them.


Parking Today www.parkingtoday.com Other Luggage-Handling Tips


• Lift heavy items using a dolly or ask for help. • Use a cart to eliminate the need to carry luggage long distances. • Push rather than pull carts. • When pushing a cart, place hands just below shoulder lev- el on the cart handle.


• Make sure carts are maintained properly. Tires should be fully inflated; and wheels should not be bent or mis- aligned, which will increase the amount of force required to push the cart.


•Wear substantial shoes with non-slip soles and enough cushioning to relieve the stress on the knees and back.


Kathy Phillips, CIC, CPP, is First Vice President of Alliant Insurance Services. She can be reached at kphillips@alliantinsurance.com.


PT 47


• Make sure walkway surfaces are in good repair. • Provide floor plugs for equipment to ensure that power cords are not run across walk areas.


• Report and clean up spills immediately. • Provide non-slip coatings or surfaces in slippery locations. • Minimize carpet and matting trip hazards. • Provide adequate lighting in areas such as halls and stairwells.


Safe Luggage Handling Valet attendants often are responsible not only for parking


vehicles, but also for assisting customers with handling their lug- gage. Doing that, particularly when loading and unloading lug- gage from vehicles, carts and storage areas, often results in awk- ward back postures. Employees may not feel pain or discomfort when in risky


postures, but the potential for injury is still present. Provide them with guidelines, such as the following, to minimize the risk: • Instruct employees to plan the lift. • Think about the lift first, then do it • Move feet to face the load. Do not twist the body. • When lifting luggage from a car’s trunk, face the trunk. • Get close to the load before lifting. For example, pull bags in the back of the trunk closer to you. • Bend at the knees, not at the back.


Example of an awkward back posture: Example of improved back posture:


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56