FACTS
- Falls are one of the oldest causes of injuries and death in the workplace.
- Slips, trips and same-level falls result from some a kind of unintended or unexpected change in the contact between the feet and the ground or walking surface. Good housekeeping, quality of walking surfaces, selection of proper footwear, and appropriate pace of walking are critical for preventing accidents.
- Falls from elevation are often deadly or result in serious injury and may include falls from ladders, falls off of mobile equipment, falls from roofs or other elevated structures.
- Wet floors due to moisture or chemicals is also a common cause of slip incidents at work.
- Trips can be caused by a multitude of reasons including poor housekeeping, changes in elevation, improper footwear.
STATS
- Falls from portable ladders (step, straight, combination and extension) are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries.
- 27% of the 900,380 nonfatal work injuries resulting in days away from work in 2018 were related to slips, trips, and falls.
- Falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits, representing the leading cause of visits (21.3%). Slips and falls account for over 1 million visits, or 12% of total falls.
- Fractures are the most serious consequences of falls and occur in 5% of all people who fall.
- Slips and falls do not constitute a primary cause of fatal occupational injuries, but represent the primary cause of lost days from work.
- Each year in the United States, one of every three persons over the age of 65 will experience a fall. Half of which are repeat fallers.
- The CDC also reports that approximately 1.8 million people over the age of 65 were treated in an emergency room as a result of a fall.
- For people aged 65-84 years, falls are the second leading cause of injury-related death; for those aged 85 years or older, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death.