Safety Tips: Slips, Trips and Falls

Sustained Quality Group takes the safety of its customers and employees seriously. "Safety First. Safety Always" starts with education. This article is the first of a series on safety tips.

Walking safety is easy to take for granted. The reminders below are for your safety and the ones around you.

Prevention:

Wear proper foot gear
Take smaller steps when walking
Walk slowly and never run on icy ground
Keep both hands free for balance rather than in your pockets
Use handrails from start to finish
Avoid carrying loads; carry a backpack if you have one
Keep your eyes on where you are going
Test potentially slick areas by tapping or sliding your foot on them
Step, don’t jump from vehicles or equipment
Watch out for black ice; a thin nearly invisible coating of ice

Safe winter walking:

Plan ahead; give yourself sufficient time and plan your route
Walk in designated walkways as much as possible
If a walkway is completely covered with ice, try to travel along its grassy edge for traction
Don’t take shortcuts over snow piles and in areas where snow and ice removal isn’t feasible
Avoid steps or curbs with ice on them

When given no choice but to walk on ice, consider the following:

Take short steps or shuffle for stability
Bend slightly, walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over the feet as much as possible
Be prepared to fall
Roll with the fall if you begin to fall forward
Sit down if you begin to fall backward
Relax as much as possible when you begin to fall
Bend your back and head forward so you won’t slam your head on the pavement as your feet shoot out from under you
Toss the load you are carrying; protect yourself instead of the objects being carried