Rain, snow and mud don’t just look bad when they get tracked into the building. They can be dangerous. Grabbing a “Wet Floor” sign from the custodian’s closet probably isn’t enough to prevent slip and fall injuries in entranceways.
Patients older than 18 years of age who suffered falls from ladders over a five and a half year period were identified for a study. Of 27,155 trauma patients, 340 (1.3%) had suffered falls from ladders. The average age was 55 years, with a male predominance of 89.3%. Average fall height was 9.8 ft. Increasing age was associated with a decrease in the mean fall height, an increase in the mean Injury Severity Score, and higher likelihood of hospital admission.
Analysis of data from three surveillance systems showed that in 2011, work-related ladder fall injuries (LFIs) resulted in 113 fatalities, an estimated 15,460 nonfatal injuries that involved more than one day away from work, and an estimated 34,000 nonfatal injuries treated in emergency departments. Workers who are male, Hispanic, older, self-employed, work in smaller establishments, and work doing construction and extraction or installation, maintenance, and repair experience higher LFI rates.
Private industry employers reported nearly 48,500 fewer nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2016 compared to a year earlier, according to estimates released yesterday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII).
There were approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2016, which occurred at a rate of 2.9 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers.
The injury rate was twice as high among workers age 24 and younger than it was among those ages 45 and older. However, workers over the age of 50 more often experienced serious injuries and had a higher proportion of falls resulting in fractures.
Rugs that always slip.
Small throw rugs are pretty and can make an otherwise bare floor cozier, but many times, they tend curl up at the corners or slip. This in turn, can lead to you tripping and falling. Falling is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death over all age groups. To stay safe, secure carpets to the floor with appropriate backing or forego them altogether. Check out these home safety facts that could just save your life.
Serious, nonfatal workplace injuries lead to nearly $60 billion in direct workers’ compensation costs per year, according to the
2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. The study also revealed the top 10 causes for these disabling and expensive injuries.
Falls are among the most common causes of injury in the workplace. They can lead to severe injury, even death, but—with the proper precautions—they can be prevented. Without the proper precautions, same-level falls can occur during the simple act of walking, while falls to a lower level can occur from a ladder, scaffolding, roof, or other structure above the ground.
