Slips, Trips, and Falls
Slips are the result of too little friction or a lack of traction between the footwear and the floor surface. A trip is the result of a foot striking or colliding with an object, which causes a loss in balance, and usually a fall. Falls can result from a slip or a trip when a person’s center of gravity is shifted, and balance is lost. Slips, trips, and falls can result in injuries with lasting effects.
There are no formal training requirements for slips, trips, and falls. Recognizing that slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, employers must train employees to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions.
OSHA requires employers to:
- Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers.
- Keep floors in work areas in a clean and, so far as possible, dry condition.
- Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
- Train workers about job hazards in a language that they can understand.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) primary standard for slip, trip, and fall hazards is the General Industry Walking-Working Surface Standard, 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D, which includes 29 CFR 1910.21-30. Related Construction Industry standards are scattered throughout 29 CFR 1926, including subparts C, L, M, and X.
Slips are the result of too little friction or a lack of traction between the footwear and the floor surface. A trip is the result of a foot striking or colliding with an object, which causes a loss in balance, and usually a fall. Falls can result from a slip or a trip when a person’s center of gravity is shifted, and balance is lost. Slips, trips, and falls can result in injuries with lasting effects.
There are no formal training requirements for slips, trips, and falls. Recognizing that slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries, employers must train employees to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions.
OSHA requires employers to:
- Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers.
- Keep floors in work areas in a clean and, so far as possible, dry condition.
- Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
- Train workers about job hazards in a language that they can understand.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) primary standard for slip, trip, and fall hazards is the General Industry Walking-Working Surface Standard, 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D, which includes 29 CFR 1910.21-30. Related Construction Industry standards are scattered throughout 29 CFR 1926, including subparts C, L, M, and X.