2nd Edition
Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention A Practical Handbook, Second Edition
More than one million people suffer from a slip, trip, or fall each year and 17,700 died as a result of falls in 2005. They are the number one preventable cause of loss in the workplace and the leading cause of injury in public places. Completely revised, Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention: A Practical Handbook, Second Edition demonstrates how, with proper design and maintenance, many of these events can be prevented.
This well-illustrated and carefully researched volume covers standards and best practices for facility design, effective management control programs, test methods and standards relating to pedestrian safety, and slip resistance methods in the U.S. and abroad. It includes checklists, handouts, case studies, rich online resources, and an extensive bibliography.
See what’s new in the Second Edition:
- Enhanced photographs and tables, profiles of online resources, updated examples, case studies, and sidebars
- A new chapter on the unique hazards and controls to protect staff and patrons in food service
- A new chapter on known parameters and causes of patient falls, assessment methods, and methods for reduction of staff falls
- Discussion of flooring and floor maintenance, cleaning products and methods, outsourcing, and maintenance
- Coverage of management controls, a holistic approach to integrating slip/fall prevention controls into existing functions, hazard mapping, and electronic inspection systems
- Physical aspects of rubber walkways surfaces, expanded floor mats, new stairway statistics, visibility, and design
- Roughness measurements, perception of slipperiness, overseas standards, profiles of high risk industries, and accident investigation
Contrary to popular belief, most slips and falls are not due to carelessness. This handbook examines the many options available in the design and maintenance of facilities that can reduce or eliminate the potential for slips and falls.
Physical Evaluation
Introduction
Expectation
Distractions
Level Walkway Surfaces
Level Walkway Surfaces and Water
Parking Areas
Changes in Levels
Stairs
Handrails
Guards (or Guardrails)
Ramps
Floor Mats/Entrances and Exits
Bathrooms
Elevators
Escalators
Carpet
Accessibility
Signage
Reference Standards
Exhibits
Slip and Fall Self-Assessment Checklist
State Mandated Building Codes
Management Controls
Introduction
Engineering Precept
Integrate Controls
Behavioral Safety and Pedestrian Traffic Flow
Building Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Slip/Fall Hazard Self-Inspection Programs
Spill and Wet Program
Recommended Practices for Snow Removal
Lighting
Contractual Risk Transfer
Construction, Renovation, and Special Event Planning
Loss Analysis
Exhibits
Facility and Parking Lots: Hourly Inspection Log
Sample Snow Removal Report
Slip Resistance Test Results Format
Sample Walkway Surface Design Audit
Sample Walkway Surfaces Inspection
Principles of Slip Resistance
Introduction
Principles of Friction
Slip Resistance Defined
Slip Resistance Factors
The Mechanics of Walking
Causation Between Incident and Injury
Slip Resistance Scale
Surface Roughness
Wet Surfaces
Human Perception of Slipperiness
Classes of Tribometers
Hunter Machine
US Tribometers
Introduction
James Machine
Horizontal Pull Slipmeter (HPS)
Horizontal Dynamometer Pull-Meter (C21 Ceramic Whitewares and Related Products)
Brungraber Mark I | Articulated Strut Slip Tester (PAST)
Brungraber Mark II | Portable Inclinable Articulated Strut Slip Tester (PIAST)
English XL | Variable Incidence Tribometer (VIT)
Test Pad Material
Uses for Tribometers
Operator Qualifications of Competency
Equipment Calibration and Maintenance
Progress on the ASTM "Gold" Standard
Other Groundbreaking Research
EXHIBITS
Comparison Chart: US Slip Resistance Test Methods
Comparison Chart: Slip Resistance Test Methods Not Recognized in the US
Neolite Patent
US Standards and Guidelines
Introduction
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Access Board Recommendations
Federal Specifications
US Military Specifications (Navy)
ASTM International
NFPA International
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Underwriters Laboratories
Model Building Codes
Obsolete Standards
US-Based Industry Associations Involved with Slip Resistance
EXHIBITS
OSHA Report on Slip Resistance for Structural Steel
Flooring and Floor Maintenance
Introduction
The Threshold of Safety
Identifying Types of Flooring and Their Properties
Floor Finishes and Their Properties
The Impact of Wear
Floor Cleaning
Carpet Maintenance
Assessment of Floor Treatment/Cleaning Products and Methods
Floor Maintenance Certification
Floor Treatment Study
EXHIBITS
Slip Resistant Floor Treatment Study
Overseas Standards
Introduction
Slip and Fall Statistics Overseas
Overseas Standard Development
Ramp Tests
Pendulum Testers
Digitized Dragsleds
Other Dragsleds
Roller Coaster Tests
Portable Friction Tester
International Standards
Overseas Organizations Involved in Slip Resistance
EXHIBITS
National Standards Bodies
Approaches to Standards Development
Footwear
Introduction
Footwear Design for Slip Resistance
Labeling
Advertising
Other Selection Guidelines
Other Protective Features
Maintenance
Footwear Programs
Federal Specifications – USPS No. 89C
Consensus Standards
International Footwear Standards for Slip Resistance
German – DIN 4843-100
Food Service Operations
Introduction
Exposure Overview
Pedestrian Flow and Slips, Trips, and Falls
Floor Surfaces/Housekeeping
Floor Mats
Footwear
Multiple Intervention Study
EXHIBITS
Floor Mat Cleaning Matrix
Kitchen Slip/Fall Hazard Assessment
Healthcare Operations
Introduction
Known Parameters of Patient Falls
Causes of Patient Falls
Calculating Fall Rates
Interventions/Controls
Reducing Employee Falls
EXHIBITS
Psycho-Social Aspects of Falls
Profiles of Other High Risk Industries
Introduction
All Occupancies
Hospitality (Lodging)
Mercantile (Retail)
Theaters
Trucking
EXHIBITS
Stadium-Style Seating (Theater)
Sample Footwear Policy for Trucking Fleets
Theater Inspection Log – Common Areas
Accident Investigation
Introduction
Pitfalls of Accident Reporting and Investigation
Theories of Liability
Accident Investigation
Incident Reporting
Occurrence Analysis
Claim Mitigation
Fraud Control Indicators
Fraud Control
Admissibility of Expert Testimony
Documentation
Staff Issues
EXHIBITS
Accident Reporting and Investigation Guide
Ramp Fall Accidents
Slippery Surfaces
Stairway Fall Accidents
Sample Accident Investigation - Parking Company
Biography
Steven Di Pilla