Walking Surfaces

8/9/2021

A few years ago, a major defense facility suffered multiple lost time accidents due to employees slipping on icy sidewalks. And while these incidents took place during Winter and we are currently experiencing record-breaking heat conditions in the middle of Summer, one of these incidents caught my attention and thought it would be worthwhile for a discussion.

Three employees were walking on the sidewalk in the main part of the facility campus. Their vehicle was parked far enough away that instead of walking, it would have been more appropriate to take a shuttle. Nevertheless, they decided to walk. During their walk, all three slipped on the icy walkway and sustained significant injuries; all requiring professional medical treatment. Of course (as I am presenting this scenario, one would expect that the outcome would not be favorable), if they would have chosen the option of taking the shuttle, chances are all three employees would have made it to their vehicle without incident. But because they did not take the time (for whatever their reasons may be) to consider their increased risk by walking or, maybe they thought it would be too frivolous to take the shuttle (be a man – tough it out and walk!), they all sustained injuries which, no doubt, they now regret.

OSHA has a few regulations that focus of walking surfaces; the most evident being Walking and Working Surfaces (29 CFR 1910.22). This regulation states that the employer is responsible to ensure walking surfaces are maintained and free from “hazards such as sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow, and ice.” The explicit methods to ensure how such surfaces are properly maintained are not specified (with the possible exception where OSHA instructs employers to ensure surfaces are inspected, regularly and as necessary, be maintained in a safe condition).  In addition, as stated in the OSHA Fall Protection Standard (29 CFR 1926.501) there are provisions that specify worker safety when walking/working on elevated surfaces. However, this pertains specifically to employees and their risks associated with severe fall hazards. 

The fact is, slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. They cause 15% of all accidental deaths and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities (www.safetyinfo.com/fall-protection-and-prevention-safety-index/). And, as S&H professionals often preach, these types of accidents are preventable.

In our case, through an active housekeeping program, we have the ability to control slips, trips and falls by removing obstacles and clearing pathways for easy access. Meanwhile, as S&H professionals often advocate, safety is the responsibility of everyone. Thus, in the case of walking surfaces that present hazardous conditions, it is just as important for all persons to take responsibility for their actions as it is for employers to maintain safe working conditions. The fact is, we all need to practice appropriate “conduct of operations.” And that means we all need to be aware of hazardous conditions. This means – in our initial example – that while the sidewalks needed to be properly maintained by removing ice, all persons need to be cognizant of the potential hazards.  In the case of the three injured workers, they should have recognized the potential hazards by walking on slippery surfaces and therefore, use such devices (or PPE) as Yaktrax™ that provide traction on slippery/icy surfaces or, simply, waited for the shuttle. But for whatever reason, their immediate hazardous situation was either not recognized (showing a lack of proper Conduct of Operations), or they simply ignored the hazard even though they recognized the potentially slippery conditions.    

Aside from slippery/icy winter conditions, it seems that slips, trips and falls will continue to be a risk to workers across every industry. Slips occur when there is not enough friction between the walking surface and the foot, causing a loss of balance. This can happen for any number of reasons, including:

• Wet or oily surfaces
• Occasional spills
• Weather hazards
• Loose, unanchored rugs or mats
• Flooring or other walking surfaces with varying degrees of traction in different areas

Anyone who has ever slipped (which should include ALL humans) would agree that some floor surfaces are more likely to cause slips than others. Highly polished floors, including concrete, marble, and ceramic tile, can be slick even when dry. Freshly waxed floors may look nice, but the wax coating can reduce friction to make it a hazardous surface. In addition, it is important to be cognizant when transitioning from one flooring surface to another (just picture walking on a moving sidewalk while transitioning to the normal walking surface). Quickly moving from carpeting to vinyl or grid to smooth concrete might be enough to give an unsuspecting worker a nasty surprise.

Besides the act of slipping being a factor that can lead to an injury, such a condition can be exacerbated when we are carrying tools and equipment. Workers who carry sharp or heavy tools or work around dangerous equipment are at increased risk for serious injury during a slip and fall incident. Falling is bad enough. Falling against a circular saw or while holding a power drill could be a whole lot worse.

The slogan of “All Accidents are Preventable,” may be questioned to a somewhat limited degree as there have been some extreme cases where an unfortunate incident has been beyond human control; but these incidents are too few and far between for anyone to take an opposing position. It is though a team effort of management to provide the proper tools to ensure walking surfaces remain free from recognized hazards while employees need to be vigilant in their actions and therefore, recognize uncontrolled hazards, followed by avoiding the hazard and reporting the condition to their supervisor.   

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship!

– Louisa May Alcott