Campaign Targets Slips and Falls Down Under
Slips and falls are a familiar workplace problem, although footwear providers suggest many employers don’t appreciate how expensive slip-related injuries can be. WorkCover New South Wales, the safety enforcement agency in Australia’s most populous state, has designated May 2009 as Slips, Trips and Falls Month as it tries to raise awareness of the issue – including falls from heights.
“There were 25,000 injuries resulting from slips, trips, and falls in New South Wales in 2006-07, representing 18 percent of the total 140,000 worker’s compensation claims costing $203.5 million,” said WorkCover CEO Jon Blackwell. “By focusing on slips, trips, and falls during May, WorkCover expects to make employers and workers stop and think about the ways in which they can eliminate or significantly reduce such incidents. We will do this through a new, online WorkCover toolkit, which includes four Slips, Trips and Falls Guides and Fact Sheets and a series of safety posters.”
A 20-page Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls guide issued in 2007 and offered as part of this campaign is available at this site.