How to Prevent Slip and Fall Injuries in Hospitals
Slips and falls result in more than 2 million emergency room visits a year, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Although age is a factor in most such accidents (for the elderly and infants alike), to reduce the risk, you must consider all elements, including when and where the accident occurred.
Instructions
Post all safety procedures within view of personnel and patients. Having prevention tips and procedures posted in a simple and clear manner will assist your hospital with safety awareness. Make sure the instructions and tips are easy to understand for all who read them; tailoring instructions to a third-grade reading level is recommended.
Conduct a safety sweep of all departments. Have your hospital remind all personnel that they need to do a safe sweep of their area looking for any debris, trash on the floor, or anything that can be considered unsafe. Such safety sweeps should take just a few minutes and could save your hospital the expense of an accident victim's emergency room visit.
Place clean-up stations in all departments. Spills on the floor from a drink or a leak at a water fountain can cause a slip and fall, so having a clean-up station accessible to staff or even patients will help with prevention awareness. Clean-up stations should include towels, gloves, extra trash bags, safety cones, broom and dust pan, and a cleaning solution to assist with spills. If the spill is spread over a large area, mark off the area or block off the area with cones so people walking by are aware there is a spill.
Place rugs at all entrances and other areas where there is a possibility of dampness collecting (like a drinking fountain). Be careful not to create a trip hazard with the rugs, ensuring that the edges are secure. If the edges keep posing a hazard to passing traffic, they can be held in place with brightly colored tape.
Complete a daily checklist, department by department, to ensure that all areas are compliant with safety procedures and regulations. Have a department head fill out the checklist before the start of every shift. Doing the check just once a day will not be good enough for an operation that functions 24 hours a day. Checking off the list will help departments restock their clean-up stations as needed, or to spot any hazards that need to be addressed.