Fall Prevention & Protection: Workplace Safety & Home Safety

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 260,610 occupational injuries in 2008 resulted from falls. In 2009, falls caused 15 percent of all occupational fatalities. It's important to create a work and home environment to prevent these injuries and, because it's impossible to eliminate them, protect people during falls.

Education

• Simply knowing the proper way to use equipment can prevent many injuries. For example, it may seem convenient to step on the top two rungs of a stepladder but that can make a very unstable platform for your body, greatly increasing the risk of fall.

Procedures

• Developing proper procedures can help avoid falls. Road crews know to mark open manhole covers clearly and when to recover them during the workday. Homeowners can develop their own procedures, such as closing the door above the cellar stairs or addressing loose carpeting that is a tripping hazard.

Design

• Safety nets, railings and alarms help protect a fallen person by cushioning the fall or facilitating medical assistance.

Exercise

• A healthy body can move more quickly and efficiently, reducing the chance of a fall. That same body can also protect itself during a fall by grabbing onto railings to slow or stop the downward motion.