SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS A COMEDY OF ERRORS
With slips, trips and falls accounting for a large proportion of all reported major injuries, Kaivac explains why a spills response programme is often the best way to keep employees and members of the public safe.
According to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive, slip-and-fall accidents are the most common cause of injury in the workplace. On average they cause 40% of all reported major injuries. An estimated 45,000 slip- and-fall accidents happen every year in the UK, and these injuries cost the country more than £1billion.
Slips and falls can occur in a variety of ways, from tripping over an electrical cord to missing a step on a stair, but often a great deal of these are the result of spillages.
Let’s explore an example of an incident in a grocery store.
A shopper knocks over a glass jar of pickles, which breaks on the floor. She pushes the glass and pickles off to the side and then walks away.
Nice of her to clear the area, but the big concern is the liquid now on the floor. It’s typically made up of vinegar, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Once on the floor, the combination of ingredients can become very slippery, making this into a slip-and-fall accident waiting to happen.
Finally, a store worker sees the spill and looks for the manager. But what happens next can often make things worse:
• The worker looks but cannot find the manager.
• When he finally locates the manager, he can‘t remember where the spill occurred.
• Upon finding the spill, they are not sure what it is, or how best to clean it.
• They then realise they don’t know where the cleaning equipment is stored. Should they just grab a mop? (Mopping will likely just push the oily mess from one area to another resulting in a much bigger spill.)
• Neither do they know the proper safety procedures. Should they
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close off the immediate area with warning cones or close the entire aisle? Once the area is cleaned how long will it take for it to dry?
By the time the two workers have figured out what to do, five customers have walked through the aisle, tracking the oily substance and leading to more opportunities for a slip-and-fall accident.
DEVELOPING A SPILLS
RESPONSE PROGRAM The incident just discussed happens nearly every day in retail stores throughout the UK. There are always spills to contend with. As much as we may try to prevent them, they are going to happen. What becomes critical is how we respond to them. Having a quick and effective spill response program in place can prevent a slip- and-fall accident from happening.
Using the grocery store as an example, the plan usually entails the following steps.
• Equip staff members with walkie- talkies or a similar device to avoid them wasting time looking for the manager.
• Identify the spill. Is it water? Oil? Bleach? If it is to be cleaned up, we need to know what we are dealing with.
• Know where safety cones and cleaning equipment are stored. Often managers are much more focused on teaching their staff how to stock shelves and work with customers, and so the location of safety or cleaning equipment doesn’t arise.
• Place several safety cones around the spill area quickly to prevent customers from tracking the spill.
• Sweep the area clean of debris - do not use mops, as they spread contaminants.
The Kaivac auto-vac system is now being tested by a worldwide mega- retailer as one way to help prevent slip-and-fall accidents. And while our example was a grocery store, the equipment can be used in nearly any setting, from schools to office buildings, as part of a spill response program.
• Use an auto-vac system to clean the area. These are relatively small machines that operate similar to a full-sized auto scrubber. The machine will clean and remove the spill, and unlike mopping, will leave the floor dry.
• While the area will be dry in minutes, for safety reasons, keep warning signs around the area for 30 minutes.
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