Part 1
Slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls (or STFs) are everywhere, and they are costly. They account for 25%+ of all workplace injuries and are the #2 cause of work-related deaths globally. In the U.S., there were 275,660 STF injuries with days off work across 2021-22.
They crop up in offices, warehouses, and sites alike (with wet floors, cluttered walkways, poor lighting, a missed step) and quickly turn routine tasks into recordable injuries. The good news: most are avoidable with consistent attention and a proactive, safety-first culture.
Example cases:
Outdoor ice
A 75-year-old employee fell on an icy surface while directing traffic and later died due to injury-related complications. Such tragedies occur under routine winter conditions when hazards like ice aren’t controlled.
Wet floor
Even same-level slips can be deadly. For instance, an unmarked puddle on a floor can cause a fatal fall, demonstrating that falls on the same level are capable of lethal outcomes. In Texas, 13 of the state’s workplace fall-related fatalities in 2020 occurred from same-level slips/trips (not from heights).
Head strike on floor
Sometimes a mere loss of footing can be fatal. In California, for example, a 2019 incident involved a senior citizen who slipped in a poorly maintained shopping mall and suffered a fatal head injury upon hitting the floor.
Mitigation strategies:
Engineer safer surfaces & spaces: High-traction flooring/coatings in wet zones; beveled transitions/ramps; drainage; non-slip stair treads; ample lighting indoors/outdoors to reveal hazards.
Perform housekeeping & maintenance: “See it, sort it” for spills; winter snow/ice plans (pre-shift clearing/salting); secure cords/mats; fix uneven floors; routine inspections.
Control traffic & layout: Keep walkways clear; mark changes in level; place absorbent mats at entries; design storage to keep items off floors.
Use footwear and PPE as the last line: Mandate slip-resistant shoes; issue ice cleats/traction aids for cold weather; use handrails.
Train and reinforce awareness: Proper onboarding and seasonal refreshers on hazard spotting, safe pace, carrying/visibility, and reporting; signage (“Wet floor”, floor tape) and micro-campaigns (e.g., “Watch Your Step”).
Implement lone-worker controls: Define which tasks cannot be done alone; scheduled check-ins; radios; fall-detection/man-down wearables with GPS; fast escalation if a check-in is missed.
Build culture & accountability: Encourage near-miss reporting; rapid fix SLA for hazards; supervisor walk-downs; measure STF rates and act on trends.
