If an employee has an accident, managers must also factor in potential replacement workers, the salary of the unemployed staff member, restricted duty for that person, etc. These numbers often account for medical costs alone, a hefty fine for an accident that could have been prevented. “The average workers compensation claim is $19,000.” “The average cost from slip and falls is $22,800 per accident,” says Ostrander. It also shows that bodily reaction, which comprises injuries from slipping or tripping, is the third highest injury category, followed by falls to a lower level (4.6 billion). The Index reports that falls on the same level are the second most costly occupational injury (estimated annual cost of $6.7 billion), just behind overexertion. “A fall is when you move from one level to another.”Īccording to the 2006 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, the annual direct cost of disabling occupational injuries due to slips, trips and falls is estimated to exceed $11 billion. “When you slip, you slip on a floor, and lose your balance,” says Ostrander. Slips and falls are actually two very different things. “The large majority of those were due to falls from one level to another.” “Last year there were 822 occupational deaths due to falls,” says Don Ostrander, CSP, director of consulting services occupational safety and health at the National Safety Council in Itasca, Ill. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), slips, trips and falls account for 15 percent of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. Slips, trips and falls make up the majority of general industry accidents. Regardless of cause, these accidents can cost facilities big bucks in unemployment and liability claims. In fact, according to reports, 50 percent of facility accidents can actually be attributed to the type of flooring used. Clutter, footwear and improper cleaning can also cause hazards for both employees and building occupants alike. You need to select the most effective controls that are proportionate to the risk, and appropriate to your work situation.Wet or damp floors are not the only cause of slip, trip and fall accidents within the facility. Where this is not possible, use signs to warn workers to look out for a level change.
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