Joint Health & Safety Committee

Community Living Toronto & CUPE Local 2191
FACT SHEET
Spring 2007

Slips, Trips and Falls

In Canada sixty thousand workers get injured annually due to fall accidents. This number represents about fifteen percent of the "time-loss injuries" that were accepted by workers' compensation boards or commissions across Canada. Not mentioning a great economical loss, it amounts for a lot of pain and suffering and sometimes (much too often) even death. All these, in most of cases, do not have to happen.

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, and
• flooring or other walking surfaces that do not have same degree of traction in all areas

Trips

Trips happen when your foot collides (strikes, hits) an object causing you to lose the balance and, eventually fall. Common causes of tripping are:

• obstructed view,
• poor lighting,
• clutter in your way,
• wrinkled carpeting,
• uncovered cables,
• bottom drawers not being closed, and
• uneven (steps, thresholds) walking surfaces

How to prevent falls due to slips and trips?

Both slips and trips result from some a kind of unintended or unexpected change in the contact between the feet and the ground or walking surface. This shows that good housekeeping, quality of walking surfaces (flooring), selection of proper footwear, and appropriate pace of walking are critical for preventing fall accidents.