Almost daily we review accident or injury reports that remind us about the dangers of slips, trips, and falls and the heavy cost associated with the resulting injuries. A few recent statistics hammer home the reality of the concern:

• Slips and falls account for 12% of all work related deaths.
• Fatal injuries by slips and falls rank second behind motor vehicle deaths in the workplace.
• Slips and falls cause over 300,000 disabling injuries and deaths annually.
• Costs in compensation (wages and medical) as a result of slipping accidents average $6,717 per occurrence (more than 41% above the average of all other accidents).
• Work related accidents in the United States cost $34.8 billion annually.¹

Forensic field investigators are prime candidates for slips and falls. Processing a crime scene places personnel in proximity to many hazards depending on the location and the time of day, of course. Vehicular traffic, dark locations, unfamiliar layouts, and lots of activity all combine to make forensic work one of the most vulnerable places for slips, trips, and falls. So, this issue, the Safety Guys offer a few tips on preventing these types of accidents.

Look At the Big Picture
There are many reasons for slips and falls, but they have one thing in common—they usually could and should have been prevented. Accidents do happen. However, by using a common sense approach and following some simple key steps we can avoid the major causes of slips and falls. As in other safety programs, employee participation and vigilance are key to success. This is especially important with trips, slips, and falls as the hazards are dynamic, i.e. constantly changing, so it is imperative that employees observe and take preventative action during their day to day activities.

The first thing to do is take the time to survey your crime scene or work location and try to identify potential problem areas. Once these trouble zones are spotted, you can evaluate fixes or different control measures. Also, it is a simple matter and a very good idea to perform scene inspections at regular intervals, maintaining, repairing, revising, and replacing controls as needed.

We know from experience that rough, dry concrete sidewalks have good traction and that icy, wet, or smooth surfaces often do not. The technical term for this is coefficient of friction (COF). The higher the COF the more traction that surface offers. Field measurement of COF is difficult and often inaccurate. The COF mentioned are from lab data on dry surfaces. For most walking and working surfaces we should aim for a COF of 0.40 or greater for best traction. As a reference the dry, rough concrete sidewalk may have a COF of 1.0 or more while a wet, smooth surface such as ceramic tile or ice can be as low as 0.10. Let us keep that in mind as we begin our survey.

Take a Walk on the Outside
Start by taking a tour around the outside perimeter of your crime scene.Make a list of the usual suspects when it comes to areas where trips and falls occur most frequently. These include paths of vehicular traffic, entrances, sidewalks, steps, and ramps. Take note of the different surfaces and whether they have good traction. We suggest trying the “scuff test” of sliding or kicking your foot along the surface to test the traction of the surface with the footwear you are wearing. If the surface seems slippery, then it is a good candidate for using barrier tape or finding alternate access. Crime scenes in locales near water are frequently encountered and extra precaution is warranted. Proximity to water, such as boats, docks, or launch ramps, lead to regular wetting and then specific non-skid footwear is recommended.