Slips, Trips, and Falls Tailgate Safety Topic

Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common causes of workplace injuries, on construction sites and in general industry alike. Most of them are preventable, and most happen for reasons we walk past every day without noticing. Today we will talk about how slips, trips, and falls happen, what to watch for on this site, and what each of us can do to prevent them.

How Slips Happen

Slips happen when there is not enough grip between footwear and the surface. Wet floors, mud tracked indoors, oil or grease, ice, and loose material like sawdust or gravel can all take away traction in a step. Under OSHA walking-working surfaces rules, employers must keep walking and work surfaces clean, orderly, and free of hazards such as spills and loose materials. When you see a spill or a wet patch, treat it as a hazard right away, not as something to walk around.

How Trips Happen

Trips happen when a foot catches on something. Cords, hoses, and air lines across walkways are a classic cause, along with clutter, materials stored in walkways, uneven surfaces, curbs, and changes in floor height. Poor lighting makes all of it worse, because a hazard you cannot see is a hazard you cannot avoid. Keep walkways clear, route cords and hoses out of walking paths or cover them, and report uneven surfaces and broken lighting instead of stepping over them.

Falls on the Same Level

Most slips and trips end in a fall on the same level, and those falls cause a large share of sprains, fractures, and back injuries. Falls from heights are a different and more severe hazard, and they are covered in a separate talk on falls from elevations. For this talk, the point is simple: a fall does not have to be from a height to put someone out of work.

Prevention Measures

• Keep work areas clean and organized, and clean up spills as soon as they happen.
• Store materials in designated areas, never in walkways or near exits.
• Route cords, hoses, and lines away from walking paths, or cover them so no one can catch a foot.
• Make sure work areas are well lit, especially early in the morning and late in the evening.
• Wear footwear with good grip that suits the surface and the weather.
• Use handrails on stairs, and take your time on wet or uneven ground.

What to Do After a Slip, Trip, or Fall

Report it to your supervisor right away, even if you feel fine. Some injuries show up hours later, and an unreported hazard is still there for the next person. Get checked out if you are hurt, and make sure the cause gets fixed before work continues in that area.

Questions to Discuss

• Where on this site are people most likely to slip or trip today?
• What do we do when we spot a spill, a cord across a walkway, or a dark area?
• Is our footwear right for the surfaces and weather we are working in today?

Conclusion

Slips, trips, and falls may seem minor until one of them puts a coworker out of work. Housekeeping, attention, and speaking up about hazards prevent most of them. A visual reminder helps the message stick, so take a look at our slips, trips, and falls safety poster for break rooms and job trailers. This talk covers general awareness and does not replace your site-specific safety plan or training.