How do I Avoid Slippery Slopes? Here are our tips for preventing Slips, Trips, & Falls

No matter what industry you work in, there is always a risk of falls. In 2023 falls were a part of eleven of the forty-three fatal work-related incidents in Irish workplaces. Slips, trips, and falls are the second highest single cause of workplace injuries according to the HSA. So, how can we prevent falls?  

How to Define a "Fall"

To really understand how to prevent a fall we first need to know what counts as a fall. A fall is considered to be when an employee loses balance and unintentionally drops to a lower level. Falls can happen from the same level – tripping over an obstruction or from a higher level – for example downstairs, scaffolding or an elevated platform. 

Identify Measures of Fall Prevention

Now we know what falls are, we can look at some ways to prevent them. Some straightforward ways to prevent falls are with lighting, PPE, and employee training.  

    • Lighting – having a well light space means that employees can clearly see any hazards around them. When employees can see risks, they find it much easier to remove the hazard. Make sure all workspaces are well lit.  
    • PPE – wearing the right PPE means that employees have a second system that is designed to catch them should they fall and force a stop. For example, if an employee were to be working on scaffolding that employee would make sure to wear a harness and to tie it off on to a permanent point. As in the unfortunate event where an employee should fall this would catch the employee preventing an accident. 
    • Employee training – by making sure that employees are trained to understand exactly what a fall is, you can lower the chance of a serious incident. When employees are trained to recognise the situation, it means that they can become more vigilant. If they see hazards, they can eliminate the risk completely. 

What are Some Examples of "Simple Fixes"?

There are also some simple fixes you can use to further eliminate the risk of falls from your business. The easiest way to do this is with regular cleaning. Regular Cleaning means that you can remove hazards, organize and clean up slippery surfaces. By doing this you can clean up any obstructions from the ground. By also Removing Obstacles, your business can be much safer in a simple fashion.

FlexManager RAMS: reduce Slips, Trips and Falls

Risk Assessment Method Statements are becoming a key health and safety document. RAMS also known as the safe system of work, are part risk assessment part method statement. RAMS can be used to assess the likelihood and severity of risks. They can plan control measures to eliminate risks. RAMS can detail how specific activities can be conducted safely.

With FlexManager, all the diverse types of RAMS can be arranged with different sections available per type. You can access these in both the web and mobile app, and they can transition through review stages and get signed off by participants to promote safety in the face of considerable risk tasks. 

This blog focused on a topic relevant to the RAMS module, which is part of the Health & Safety solution. This is one of six core solutions that forms an all-in-one solution, providing organisations with a complete overview of their operations to ensure they achieve their compliance goals. To find out more about RAMS, or any other module at FlexManager, please get in touch with our team through our Contact section, or visit the RAMS module page.

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