Icy and snowy conditions are the leading common factor associated with incidents that result in slip, trip, or fall injuries.
Snow removal and ice melting in common walkways can reduce such injuries. - Black ice is especially hazardous as it is difficult to see, so increasing awareness of areas prone to black ice through signs and newsletters may help prevent falls and resulting injuries.
- Wet floors can be a hazard so using floor mats that don’t slip and can absorb water may reduce falls indoors.
- Increase lighting in areas that may have trip hazards or steps.
Military data also finds that fall-related injuries are also commonly associated with:
- Sports (like basketball and soccer)
- Parachuting (landing improperly)
- Climbing in/out of non-moving motor vehicles (especially high vehicles like tanks)
There are also many occurrences of tripping over irregular surfaces or objects in a household (like pets or toys), or slipping in a shower. For some of these scenarios, better situational awareness may be the primary risk reduction strategy, but any incident should be evaluated for possible unique lessons learned and changes.
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