Tool box talk tripping hazards

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# Winter hazards ## Explain dangers The cold temperatures and icy conditions that are often a part of Canadian winters can cause hazards at the workplace. These hazards include: Cold stress-Exposure to the cold can lead to frostbite and hypothermia. Hypothermia-The body can no longer maintain its core temperature, causing persistent shivering, confusion, and poor coordination. Frostbite-Parts of the body are exposed to extremely cold temperatures or come into contact with cold objects, causing the tissues to freeze. Slips and falls-Ice, snow, slush, wet surfaces, and mud (during a thaw) can cause slips and falls. A slip on the ground can cost you weeks off work. A slip at height can cost you your life. Carbon monoxide (CO)-Fuel-fired heaters can release CO gas. CO is a clear, colourless gas that you can't smell or taste. It interferes with your body's ability to use oxygen. Even in small doses, it can kill you. ## Identify controls ## PREVENT COLD-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS • Wear several thin layers of clothing instead of one thick layer. • Wear synthetic fabrics such as polypropylene next to the skin because it wicks away sweat. • Wear gloves, as well as a hat or other head covering that can fit under a hard hat. - Wear one pair of thick socks or two pairs of thin socks. Be aware that tight-fitting footwear restricts blood flow. - If you get hot when you're working, open your jacket but keep your hat and gloves on. • To prevent contact frostbite, wear insulated gloves when surfaces (especially metallic ones) are colder than -7°C. - Use tools and machines with controls that are designed to be operated by gloved hands. - If your clothing gets wet, change it immediately and get treated for hypothermia. ## PREVENT SLIPS AND FALLS • Clean the ice and snow off the soles of your boots, off the rungs of ladders, and from access areas and work platforms. - Use sand, salt, or other de-icing material. (Ice often forms on the underside of platform materi…

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# Housekeeping List housekeeping hazards on site. ## Explain dangers We all know how fast rubbish builds up on a site- scrap lumber, broken bricks, pieces of drywall, strap-bands, and packaging. How can you concentrate on your work when you're worried about slipping, falling, or tripping over garbage and debris? Production and installation time go up while quality tails off. Every year, poor housekeeping and storage practices cause many accidents and injuries. Construction rubbish is often irregular in shape, hard to handle, and full of sharp objects. One of the biggest problems is packaging. Too often it gets removed from material and left wherever it falls. This creates tripping and slipping hazards. It also makes other hazards hard to see. Even worse, it invites more mess. When a site isn't cleaned up, no one cares about leaving garbage where it drops. When that happens, you can't see faulty wiring, protruding nails, damaged flooring, and missing scaffold planks. Clutter left around work and travel areas also makes it difficult to use material-handling equipment. As a result, more material gets handled manually, which increases the risk of injury and property damage. Housekeeping means cleaning up scrap and debris, putting it in containers, and making sure the containers are emptied regularly. It also means proper storage of materials and equipment. Effective housekeeping and storage will prevent incidents and injuries. ## Identify controls • Keep work and travel areas kept tidy, well-lit, and ventilated. Clean up as work proceeds. - Keep equipment and the areas around equipment free of scrap and debris. - Pick up, store, or dispose of tools, material, or debris that may cause tripping or other hazards. - Keep stairways, passageways, ramps, and other travel areas clear at all times. • Secure loose or light materials stored on roofs and open floors to keep them from blowing away in the wind. Resecure the material after removing any of it. • Nev…

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# Floor and roof openings ## Explain dangers If proper guarding is not in place, workers can be exposed to falls when working around floor and roof openings. Avoiding such hazards may seem like common sense, but a moment of distraction around an uncovered opening can end in disaster. ## Identify controls Installing guardrails around an opening is the best solution to prevent falls. In places such as narrow access routes where guardrails can't be installed, protective covers made of planks, plywood, or steel plates are the next best option. According to the Construction Projects regulation (213/91, s. 26.3(2)), protective covers must: - Completely cover the opening • Be securely fastened • Be identified as covering an opening • Be made from material that can support any load that may be put on it (at least 2.4 kN/m²). The labels on opening covers need to stand out on a busy worksite. Use bright paint to create a warning sign on the cover that says something like-DANGER! OPENING-DO NOT REMOVE! DO NOT LOAD! • Always use another means of fall protection when installing, removing, or working near an unprotected opening. - Always fasten the cover securely to prevent workers from removing it and falling through the opening. - Where permanent covers or hatches are installed, they should be kept closed at all times except when they are being used for access. - Where temporary covers are used, they should extend enough past the opening to provide sufficient strength (e.g., 15 cm (6 in)). - If the cover is made of wood, use full-sized No. 1 spruce planks 48 mm x 248 mm (1-7/8 in x 9-3/4 in). - Never store materials on a protective cover. DANGER OPENING DO NOT REMOVE - Never stand on, walk on, or drive over a protective cover. - Tell your supervisor if a protective cover is loose, not fastened, not properly identified, or in poor condition. • Treat skylights like any other roof openings. While it may seem covered, a skylight has very little strength.…

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# Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls (cont.) ## Housekeeping (cont.) Changing or modifying walking surfaces is the next level of preventing slip and trips. Recoating or replacing floors, installing mats, pressure-sensitive abrasive strips or abrasive- filled paint-on coating and metal or synthetic decking can further improve safety and reduce the risk of falling. However, it is critical to remember that high-tech flooring requires good housekeeping as much as any other flooring. In addition, resilient, non-slippery flooring prevents or reduces foot fatigue and contributes to slip-prevention measures. ## Footwear In workplaces where floors may be oily or wet or where workers spend considerable time outdoors, prevention of fall incidents should focus on selecting proper footwear. Since there is no footwear with anti-slip properties for every condition, consultation with manufacturers is highly recommended. Properly fitting footwear increases comfort and prevents fatigue which, in turn, improves safety for the employee. For more information on footwear visit the OSH Answers document on Safety Footwear. ## What can you do to avoid falling at work? You can reduce the risk of slipping on wet flooring by: - taking your time and paying attention to where you are going - adjusting your stride to a pace that is suitable for the walking surface and the tasks you are doing - walking with the feet pointed slightly outward - making wide turns at corners ## You can reduce the risk of tripping by: - keeping walking areas clear from clutter or obstructions - keeping flooring in good condition - always using installed light sources that provide sufficient light for your tasks - using a flashlight if you enter a dark room where there is no light - making sure that things you are carrying or pushing do not prevent you from seeing any obstructions, spills, etc. Fact sheet last revised: 2023-03-28 Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls CCOHS

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# Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls (cont.) ## Trips (cont.) - poor lighting - clutter in your way - wrinkled carpeting - uncovered cables - bottom drawers not being closed - uneven (steps, thresholds) walking surfaces ## How to prevent falls due to slips and trips? Both slips and trips result from unintended or unexpected change in the contact between the feet and the ground or walking surface. This fact shows that good housekeeping, quality of walking surfaces (flooring), selection of proper footwear, and appropriate pace of walking are critical for preventing fall incidents. ## Housekeeping Good housekeeping is the first and the most important (fundamental) level of preventing falls due to slips and trips. It includes: - cleaning all spills immediately - marking spills and wet areas - mopping or sweeping debris from floors removing obstacles from walkways and always keeping walkways free of clutter - securing (tacking, taping, etc.) mats, rugs and carpets that do not lay flat - always closing file cabinet or storage drawers - covering cables that cross walkways - keeping working areas and walkways well lit - replacing used light bulbs and faulty switches Without good housekeeping practices, any other preventive measures such as installation of sophisticated flooring, specialty footwear or training on techniques of walking and safe falling will never be fully effective. For more information about effective housekeeping, visit the OSH Answers document on Workplace Housekeeping - Basic Guide. Flooring Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls CCOHS

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CCOHSOCCHST Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail Safety Hazards # Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls ## On this page How do falls happen? How to prevent falls due to slips and trips? What can you do to avoid falling at work? ## How do falls happen? Statistics show that the majority (67%) of falls happen on the same level resulting from slips and trips. The remaining 30% are falls from a height. This document will summarize information on "falls on the same level" (slips and trips). Falls from an elevation, such as falls from ladders, roofs, down stairs or from jumping to a lower level, etc., is discussed in other documents since each type of fall must be assessed as part of a fall prevention program. ## Slips Slips happen where there is too little friction or traction between the footwear and the walking surface. Common causes of slips are: - wet or oily surfaces - occasional spills - weather hazards - loose, unanchored rugs or mats - flooring or other walking surfaces that do not have the same degree of traction in all areas ## Trips Trips happen when your foot collides (strikes, hits) an object causing you to lose balance and, eventually fall. Common causes of tripping are: obstructed view Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls CCOHS

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# Slip and fall hazards for truck drivers ## Explain dangers Over a five-year period, slips and falls were the cause of nearly 50% of all critical injuries in the trucking industry. Pay special attention when working on the following surfaces: - Ramps and gang planks without skid-resistant or slip-resistant surfaces - Metal surfaces such as dock boards and dock plates, platforms, and construction plates or covers on sidewalks and roads - Metal rungs, steps, footholds, treads, running boards, and platforms on equipment and ladders. Remember: metal is slippery because of its lower force of friction and traction. Metal surfaces such as running boards can become smooth and slippery with wear and extremely slick when wet, muddy, oily, dirty, or greasy. ## Identify controls When working around flatbed trucks: • Clean footwear of mud, snow, ice, grease, or other slippery substances. • Make sure running boards, treads, steps, footholds, and platforms are clean and dry. • Always face equipment when mounting and dismounting. • Have a secure grip on the handhold before stepping up. - Place your foot firmly on the step or foothold so that it's in front of your heel, under the arc of your foot - Always be aware of your surroundings and any obstacles around you. - Don't climb down with something in your free hand. Put it on the floor of the vehicle and reach for it when you get down to the ground. Most falls from trucks are caused by driver error and failure to follow the 3-point contact rule. When mounting and dismounting: - Maintain 3-point contact while getting onto or off of the equipment until you reach the ground, cab, or a stable platform. This means one hand and two feet or two hands and one foot must be on the equipment at all times. - Do not jump down when getting off the bed of a truck or other part of the equipment. Step down carefully while facing the equipment. To prevent slips and trips: • Wear shoes with good support-not sandals, bare fe…

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WORK SAFE KENTUCKY Free safety resources provided by KEMI HOME SAFETY RESOURCES SAFETY TRAINING SAFETY BLOG ABOUT KEMI CONTACT US O # Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls ## Print a Sign-In Sheet | Spanish Version • According to the U.S. Department of Labor, slips, trips, and falls are the most common occupational accidents. • Many falls can be prevented with general safety precautions. • The two main causes of slips, trips, and falls are environmental conditions and human factors. CAUTION A FLOOR - • A slip occurs when there is too little traction, or friction, between the shoe and walking surface. • A trip occurs when a person's foot contacts an object in the way or drops to a lower level unexpectedly, causing the person to be thrown off-balance. • A fall occurs when a person is too far off-balance. ## The main causes of slips include: • Spills of liquids and other debris, such as mud, water, grease, oil, sawdust, powders, etc. • Highly-polished or freshly-waxed floors. • Transitioning from one surface another, such as walking from a carpeted surface to a smooth surface like tile. • Sloped walking surfaces. • Loose floor tiles, loose or unanchored floor mats, and loose floor covers. • Wet, muddy, or inappropriate footwear. • Environmental factors, such as rain, snow, and frost. • Mounting and dismounting equipment improperly. • Climbing ladders with wet, muddy, or greasy shoes. • Mark swinging doors with "in" and "out" signage. ## The main causes of trips include: • Uncovered cables, wires, or extension cords. • Cluttered walkways. - Open cabinets and desk drawers. • Changes in elevation, such as unmarked steps. • Damaged or nonuniform steps and ladders. Other conditions and factors that may contribute to slips, trips, and falls include: • Poor lighting. • Use of bulky equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE). • Improper material handling techniques. • Loud noise or distractions. • Medication or drug and alcohol effects. …