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Evaluation of a comprehensive slip, trip, and fall prevention program for hospital employees.

Bell J; Collins J; Wolf L; Grönqvist R; Chiou S; Chang W-R; Sorock G; Courtney T; Lombardi D; Evanoff B

NOIRS 2008-Abstracts of the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium, October 21-23, 2008, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Morgantown, WV: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2008 Oct; :C2.3

https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/32683

20035742

Introduction: In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported the incidence rate of lost-workday injuries from slips, trips, and falls (STFs) on the same level in hospitals was 35.8 per 10,000 FTEs, which was 60% greater than the average rate for all other private industries combined (22.4 per 10,000 FTEs). The objective of this ten-year (1996-2005) longitudinal study was to describe STF injury events and evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive STF prevention program in three acute care hospitals. Methods: The comprehensive prevention program included analysis of injury records to identify common causes of STFs, on-site hazard assessments, changes to housekeeping procedures and products, introduction of STF preventive products and procedures, general awareness campaigns, programs for external ice and snow removal, flooring changes, and slip-resistant footwear for certain employee subgroups. Results: The hospitals' total STF workers' compensation claims rate declined by 58% from the preintervention (1996-1999) rate of 1.66 claims per 100 FTEx to the post-interventionintervention (2003-2005) time period rate of 0.76 claims per 100 FTEs (adjusted rate ratio = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.33-0.54). STFs due to liquid contamination (water; fluid; slippery, greasy, and slick spots) were the most common cause (24%) of STF claims. Food services, transport/EMS, and housekeeping staff were at highest risk of an STF claim in the hospital environment. Nursing and office administrative staff generated the largest numbers of STF claims. Discussion: STF injury events in hospitals have a multitude of causes, and the work conditions in hospitals are diverse. This research provides evidence that implementation of a broad-scale prevention program can significantly reduce STF injury claims.

Accident-prevention; Accidents; Exposure-assessment; Exposure-levels; Exposure-methods; Injury-prevention; Injuries; Occupational-accidents; Occupational-exposure; Occupational-hazards; Occupational-safety-programs; Safety-measures; Safety-practices; Safety-programs; Safety-research; Statistical-analysis; Work-analysis; Work-areas; Work-environment; Worker-health; Work-operations; Work-performance; Workplace-monitoring; Workplace-studies; Work-practices; Surveillance

20081021

Abstract

2009

DSR

NOIRS 2008-Abstracts of the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium, October 21-23, 2008, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WV; PA