How to Prevent Falls Take these Simple Steps to Prevent Falls

How to Prevent Falls Take these Simple Steps to Prevent Falls at Home:

• Remove clutter, including electrical cords and other tripping hazards, from walkways, stairs and doorways

• Install nightlights in the bathroom, hallways and other areas to prevent tripping and falls at night

• Always wear proper footwear and clean up spills immediately

• Place non-slip adhesive strips on stairs and non-skid mats in the shower and bathroom

• For older adults, install grab bars near showers and toilets, and install rails on both sides of stairs – older adults can also take balance classes, get their vision and hearing checked each year and talk with their doctors and pharmacist about fall risks from medication

How to Prevent Falls Take these Simple Steps to Prevent Falls at Work:

Slips, trips and falls can happen in any workplace. They can occur at the entry of a building, in the kitchen, on loading docks and even as you walk throughout the building. Slips usually occur when substances such as water, oil or grease are spilled on the floor and stepped on unexpectedly by a patron. The simplest way of preventing slips, trips and falls injuries in your workplace is to develop a risk management plan which identifies, assesses, controls and monitors safety hazards and risks. The following information, together with the slips, trips and falls risk management tools will help you develop a risk management plan. Identifying hazards is the first step to determine exactly where slips, trips and falls can or have occurred in your workplace. You can find out this information by talking to workers and supervisors, inspecting the premises, and reviewing records such as incident and injury reports as well as workers’ compensation claims. Another useful method is to sketch a layout of the work area and mark on it where slip and trip incidents or hazards have been reported. The next step is to assess the slip or trip risks. Usually it is a combination of factors that create the risk. As part of your assessment you should also consider how many people are exposed, the consequences of the slip such as sharp or moving objects, or at a height, such as near stairs and even how often the situation occurs. Look at the assessed risks and decide what needs to be done to eliminate or reduce the risks and how quickly these measures need to be implemented. Always remember, maintenance is fundamental to ensure that control measures remain effective. For slips and trips prevention: maintain the condition of floor and ground surfaces. Maintain machinery to prevent leaks and ensure workers wear suitable footwear to provide adequate grip.