Be alert to hazards that cause slips, trips, or falls in the workplace, Darnall safety officials warn

CRDAMC Public Affairs

FORT HOOD, Texas--No one leaves home for work saying, “I think I’ll fall today” but every day at the workplace, someone does slip, trip or fall, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center safety professionals warned.

“Slips or falls occur when some unforeseen condition or act gets in your way and you simply don’t have enough reaction time to avoid it. You lose your balance and crash to the ground,” said CRDAMC Safety Specialist Damen Scarborough. “The problem is that we just don’t see the warning signs and blindly enter into a situation where things may be stacked against us.”

Falls do hurt, and injuries can be from mild to severe and everything in between. Workplace injuries lead to lost time which definitely impacts readiness.

What concerns him the most, Scarborough said, is that slips and falls in the workplace are on the rise.

“By the end of fiscal year 2008, CRDAMC staff had reported 28 falls. By the end of fiscal year 2011 that number had grown to 44. From the beginning of fiscal year 2012 (October 2011) until May 1, staff has already reported 30 falls,” he said. “We all need to make a conscious effort to stop this growing trend.”

Accidents are preventable and the Safety Office is stepping up its efforts to promote education and awareness of preventive measures to help avoid accidents.

“We’re constantly putting the word out here,” Scarborough said. “We investigate each reported incident to determine root causes and develop actionable measures to prevent similar situations. Then we share our findings throughout the MEDCEN at regular meetings with leadership, safety coordinator training and awareness sessions and at new employee orientation.”

It’s one thing to attend training and safety briefings, but another thing to use what you learn.

“Take responsibility for your own safety and those around you. Talk to each other about the hazards you encounter. Sharing your knowledge may keep a co-worker from falling,” he advised.

But the Safety office can’t do it alone, he added. Safety is a personal responsibility.

“We need to lose the complacency because, like it or not, we are not always in total control. We must learn to look for the hazards instinctively. We must take it personally when we find something in our area that can hurt us or someone else,” Scarborough concluded. “We’ve got to start taking care of each other. If you see a slip, trip or fall hazard, warn your co-workers and others. Take care of it if you can. If not, mark the hazard so others will see it. Take the time needed to call those who can fix it.”

While the number of accidents are for Darnall Medical Center, safety in the work place is everyone’s responsibility.

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Improperly placed extension cords can easily cause a slip, trip or fall. CRDAMC safety officials caution everyone to watch for hazards like this to help to avoid accidents. (U.S. Army photo by Damen Scarborough, CRDAMC Safety Office)

 
Leaving drawers open can cause falls as others may not see it and trip. CRDAMC safety officials caution everyone to be proactive in helping avoid accidents. (U.S. Army photo by Damen Scarborough, CRDAMC Safety Office)

 
Inappropriate footwear in the workplace is just one of many hazards that can cause slips, trips and falls. CRDAMC safety officials caution everyone to be proactive in helping avoid accidents. (U.S. Army photo by Damen Scarborough, CRDAMC Safety Office)