A New Approach! Analyzing and Preventing Slips in the Workplace

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1 A New Approach! Analyzing and Preventing Slips in the Workplace Public Services Health and Safety Association - Michael Atkinson - Education Team There is No Single Answer Find the real causes! In Slip and Fall Prevention: A Practical Handbook, author Steven Di Pilla notes: "Each person takes an average of 18,000 steps a day, amounting to more than 6.5 million steps annually. This represents a tremendous exposure." Because of the many organizational, environmental and personal factors that contribute to slips and falls, safety experts warn that attempts to prevent injuries with single remedies, such as slip-resistant shoes or improved maintenance, are much less likely to succeed than a comprehensive program that includes good design, maintenance, training, proper footwear, recordkeeping and other activities. Simple Overview of Process for Finding the Real Causes 1. Senior managers - need to instill a safety culture 2. Slips, Trips, & Loss of Balance (STL) Team establish a team to review and address hazards 3. Basic Assessment - conduct a basic assessment using assessment checklist and historic data 4. Basic Survey conduct a STL survey to gather information on ongoing employee concerns 5. Detailed Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis conduct a thorough examination of: 1) Observations and measurements 2) Basic Data Collected historic (Assessment) and present (Survey) concerns 3) Detailed Accident Reports review and confirm analysis results 6. Criteria for Corrections correlate legislative requirements, manufacturer s guidelines, and best practices to causation factors discovered 7. Controls develop action plan using Controllable and Predictable causation factors form. NOW CONTINUE TO REAL RISK ANALYSIS remembering that the presentation is not for the analytical expert but must be practical for anyone. 1. Predictable generally don t need an analysis they re very probable! 2. Controllable need an analysis

2 Quick Risk Assessment Process The historical approach to accident prevention has been to identify a hazard and then determine the risk factors associated with the hazard. This Risk Assessment is then used to determine appropriate ways to eliminate or control the hazard. The Risk Assessment has usually been made by using commonly recognized risk factors such as the Frequency of Exposure and the Severity of Injury. Let s look at this process from the perspective of someone slipping: Severity Severity is often presented as a scale using 1 3, 1 5, or minor major to indicate degree of severity. If you slip and fall as you walk on the sidewalk, will you suffer a minor or major injury? In all likelihood, at best, you will be guessing and could be entirely right or entirely wrong. There is no valid way of measuring the potential severity of an injury because there are too many variables. The use of severity in measuring slips is not very useful and could even be very misleading. It is suggested this factor not be used. Frequency Another scale often used is the frequency of exposure to a hazard. There is a misconception that the more often you are exposed to a hazard, the more likely you are to be injured. If you examine the slips of individuals working on ice rinks who cross the ice quite often wearing normal outdoor footwear, you would expect the constant exposure to result in a high frequency of injuries. While these individuals do slip and fall, there is no correlation between the exposure and the actual number of injuries. Simplifying the Risk Assessment Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein If a brick falls from the top of a building, what would the severity of injury be? Electricians are exposed to electrical hazards quite often but the frequency of injury is low. How should we assess the risk? First consider that acts and conditions contributing to an accident can all be defined as either predictable or controllable. When planning to control a hazard it is important to know if it is possible to either have complete control in eliminating the risk (controllable) or if we can only influence the outcome (predictable). Predictable The ability to predict that an injury is likely to occur based on experience, observation or scientific reason. This implies that we know the present action or situation will likely result in an accident or injury. We have no direct control of the factor and we cannot conclude the factor is a directly manageable option. An example of this might be an individual with poor vision. We have absolutely no control over the Physiological Factor (eyesight) of the individual. Other examples of predictable factors are things like individuals running in hallways, o rbad weather. If we don t plan and take action we know an accident could occur. Controllable The ability to manage a situation and keep in control. This implies that we have control of the situation or hazard and that we can control the outcome of the expected activities. These are factors like floor surfaces or illumination. As an example although we might not be able to change a predictable factor resulting from an individual with poor vision, we can decrease the chance of an accident by addressing related controllable factors such as providing adequate Illumination to counteract the likelihood of the predictable factor resulting in an accident.

3 Quick Risk Assessment Process It is important that when we assess risk, we recognize that there are certain things that are in our complete control. We can consider these to be the controllable factors. There are other items or activities that we cannot directly control but we can still influence the result of their presence or occurrence. Most risk assessment models suggest trying to assess the entire organization. While this might be a very noble goal, there is little likelihood of this being practical to do or of value. Remember, when looking at hazards, we are actually just looking at a Can you determine the slippery areas? snapshot in time of specific conditions and activities. The parts of the floors that are slippery and the shoes that are worn (not to include all the other factors) will be impossible to identify throughout the entire organization. A Practical Approach A simpler process for determining risk is to look at the past (compile a historical list of accidents, incidents, and injuries) and to identify present concerns (by conducting a hazard survey of staff and user concerns). Specific conditions, acts and locations will usually become apparent that indicate the significant risks that need to be assessed. Assessing the risk of a hazard is very much like an accident investigation. We need to look at each factor that is either an act or condition and determine Do I have control or Do I have little control but can predict a significant risk. Just knowing the predictable and controllable will assist greatly in addressing the hazards. For slips and falls one of the processes that can be used to determine most of the risk factors is to examine the areas of concern starting at the ground and working up. The specific factors we should normally consider are: Surface Controllable Surface Coatings Controllable Surface Coverings Controllable Illumination Controllable Footwear Predictable or Controllable Environment Predictable Psychological Predictable Physiological Predictable If we were to examine the entire organization considering each of the above factors, it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, we can get accident and incident reports and users present concerns to provide guidance. Is the needle in the haystack easy to find? The following documents will provide us with the foundation for conducting a Quick Risk Assessment: Checklist - what to look for when assessing each factor. Guidance Document an explanation of the different items on each of the checklists. Data Collection and Analysis - a survey to be conducted and a hazard analysis of historical accidents/incidents. Template Report a final report template that incorporates an introduction, administrative summary and survey analysis.

4 Determining Controllable and Predictable Slip Hazards Predictable and Controllable Factors (slip and trip hazards) Recognize Hazard (examples) Assess Hazard Is it predictable or controllable? If Controllable (exercise complete control) If Predictable (institute measures to counteract no control) Psychological Running in hallway Predictable Signage and promote no running Attitudes/Motivations Not holding handrails Predictable Signage and promote one hand on handrails Physiological Poor vision Predictable Illumination and clearly marked surfaces Physical Abilities Walking disability Predictable Ensure non slip surfaces & footwear promotion Environment All day Freezing Rain Predictable Timely surface coating application for ice Sudden Snow Storm Predictable Snow removal procedures Footwear Running in High Heels Predictable Safety Shoe promotion Slippery Safety Boots Controllable Set Standard e.g. non slip boot Illumination Dark Stairwell Controllable Illuminate with better lights Glaring light at entryway Controllable Shade light source to reduce glare Surface Contaminant Leaking oil from motor Controllable Repair motor & prev. maintenance Water on washroom floors Controllable Relocate paper towels next to sink Saw dust in wood shop Controllable Dust control and procedures Surface Covering Curling entryway mat Controllable New Entry Mat Surface Coating Slippery Floor Wax Controllable COF Floor Wax & procedures Ineffective Rock Salt Controllable More suitable agent at colder temp. Surface Slippery Floor Surface Controllable Different Entry way Material Slippery Sidewalk Controllable Different Walkway material Shifting interlock bricks Controllable Tamp walkway bricks Examples of the use of the terms predictable and controllable: Predictable: Under Psychological the recognized hazard is Someone running in the hallway. We have a limited ability of controlling them to prevent them from running but we can predict a higher likelihood of an accident. There is absolutely nothing we can do that provides Complete Control of this hazard so nothing is entered under the controllable box. We can however hope to counteract the undesirable activity by Signage and promoting no running. We still have No Control over the factor but hopefully the measures implemented may help to reduce the likelihood of the activity. Controllable If we go further down chart, under - Surface Contaminant the recognized hazard is Leaking oil from motor. We can completely control this hazard and eliminate the hazard by a repair and preventative maintenance program being implemented. Unlike the predictable, in this case we have control and can manage the hazard.

5 Same Level Slips Awareness Program 1. Review how successful the interventions have been and ensure everyone knows. 2. All accidents need to be reported especially Same Level Slips (SLS s) even if they did not result in a fall. 3. Compile a database of all same level slips based on areas where incidents have occurred or where specific hazards have been identified. It is important to determine the most meaningful information that should be identified be in your database. Speak to your PSHSA consultant about specific fields to include. 4. Look at all predictable and controllable causation factors -think PEMEP or the Standing Person diagram. 5. Set a priority for corrective measures taken. 6. Review how successful the interventions have been and spread the word maintain CONTROL - don t SLIP Further Information: Michael Atkinson Health and Safety Consultant PSHSA matkinson@pshsa.ca Enquire about our Facilities Management Slips, Trips, and Loss of Balance Workshop