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

Abstract

In 2007, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the incidence rate of lost workday injuries from slips, trips and falls (STFs) on the same level in hospitals was 35.2 per 10,000 full-time equivalents (FTE), which was 75% greater than the average rate for all other private industries combined (20.2 per 10,000 FTEs). The objectives of this 10-year (1996-2005) longitudinal study were to: 1) describe occupational STF injury events in hospitals; 2) evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive programme for reducing STF incidents among hospital employees. The comprehensive prevention programme 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, programmes for external ice and snow removal, flooring changes and slip-resistant footwear for certain employee subgroups. The hospitals' total STF workers' compensation claims rate declined by 58% from the pre-intervention (1996-1999) rate of 1.66 claims per 100 FTE to the post-intervention (2003-2005) time period rate of 0.76 claims per 100 FTE (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 for the entire study period 1996-2005. Food services, transport/emergency medical service and housekeeping staff were at highest risk of a STF claim in the hospital environment. Nursing and office administrative staff generated the largest numbers of STF claims. STF injury events in hospitals have a myriad of causes and the work conditions in hospitals are diverse. This research provides evidence that implementation of a broad-scale prevention programme can significantly reduce STF injury claims.

U.S. Army Medical Command Injury Summary, Active Duty Personnel, 2014

“…Injury and injury-related musculoskeletal conditions were the leading cause of outpatient visits and the fourth leading cause of hospitalizations. The present findings are consistent with previous reports showing the relative importance of injuries as a cause of morbidity and mortality among all active duty Army personnel Marshall et al, 2014) as well as civilian hospital personnel (Bell et al, 2008;Boden et al, 2012;Dawson et al, 2007;Jabbour et al, 2015;Oude Hengel et al, 2011;Perhats et al, 2012;Rodriguez-Acosta et al, 2009). …”

“…Therefore, the mechanisms of injury among active duty MEDCOM personnel may differ from those of civilian hospital personnel. Civilian studies of hospital employees have identified the most common mechanisms of injury to be overexertion, lifting, slips, trips, and falls, and being struck by or against an object (Bell et al, 2008;Boden et al, 2012;Jabbour et al, 2015;Perhats et al, 2012;Pompeii et al, 2008;Rodriguez-Acosta et al, 2009;Scott and Newman, 2013). Studies have also indicated that some of the injuries among civilian hospital personnel are due to patient moving and lifting (Bell et al, 2008;Perhats et al, 2012;Pompeii et al, 2008).…”

Accidental Occupational Injuries to Endoscopy Personnel in a High-Volume Endoscopy Suite During the Last Decade: Mechanisms, Workplace Hazards, and Proposed Remediation

“…Two endoscopy personnel working on hospital grounds suffered Type-II accidents during patient rounds (Table 1, 15,16). Both were male gastroenterologists.…”

“…Many accidents newly described in the endoscopy suite have been previously reported in other hospital/industrial environments, including: slip and fall on wet floors covered with regular (not slip-resistant) floor tiles [15,16], nurse falls from breaking falls of unsteady patients [17], back injury from turning severely obese patients on stretchers [18], and trip and falls over pathway obstacles, including improperly parked wheelchairs [19]. Nurses are at risk of injury from breaking a patient's fall, when patients are unsteady from residual effects of anesthesia after procedures.…”

Human factors methods to design safer mobile mining equipment

“…For example, changes to injury narrative trends were used to measure slip and fall injuries in hospitals due to a broad-scale intervention (Bell, Collins et al, 2008). Not only was the analysis able to determine the overall effectiveness of the program, but also the effect the program was having on different sources of falls, allowing future interventions to be targeted accordingly.…”