Did you know that falls in the workplace can lead to more than just missed work and medical expenses?
Falls can also cause a lifetime of pain.
The Slip, Trip and Fall Simulator visited Dresden to teach fall prevention and give employees actual experience in navigating hazardous surfaces. Employees learned all about falls - the causes, the results, and prevention - prior to putting on a harness and boots and navigating the Slip, Trip, and Fall course.
The simulator mimicked conditions likely to cause a slip, when there’s not enough friction; a trip, when your foot hits something and your body keeps moving; and falls, when your center of balance is thrown off and you tumble to the ground.
Dresden employees, while wearing special shoe covers similar to furniture slides, stepped around trip hazards and up onto slippery surfaces, to create the sensation of instability.
Many factors play into a workplace scenario that could cause a slip, trip or fall – including lighting, noise, ice, etc. Good housekeeping and wearing proper footwear are two ways to prevent hazards that lead to falls. Learning how to fall can also benefit workers. If you catch yourself falling, tuck into it and roll through it, rather than attempt to break the fall with your hands.
With the cold weather upon us, consider walking through with your feet slightly pointed outward and your arms loose with your hands out of your pockets. Test your walking surface before stepping.
