Fall (slip, trip)
Hazard description
Fall, slip, and the trip is a workplace hazard that has resulted in numerous injuries and organization costs among other detrimental effects. It is a hazard that occurs as a result of an employee falling, slipping or tripping due to unsafe working conditions within an organization or work place. Fall, slip and trip hazard is responsible for an estimate of about 17 percent of the time-loss injuries. According to OSHA, fall hazard is on the largest hazards on construction sites. A large number of workers die as a result of a fall hazard. The total number of deaths as a result of fall hazard was recorded to be 835 in the year 2007 (Osha.gov). Additionally, 442 deaths were reported in construction. OSHA estimates that the more than fifty percent of deaths are caused by fall hazard. A fall hazard is responsible for close to fifteen percent of occupational deaths.
Causal Factors
The predisposing factors to fall hazards include stairs, scaffolds, ladders, building structures and exterior construction areas. There are two ways through which fall hazard can occur; trips and slips. Slip occurs in conditions that have too little traction or friction between the walking surface and the footwear (Cdc.gov). Some of the common causes of slips include; occasional spills, oily or wet surface, weather hazards, loose rugs and uneven traction degree in walking surfaces or floors. On the other hand, trips occur when the foot strikes an object thus resulting in a loss of balance and fall. Some of the widespread causes of the trip include; poor lighting, wrinkled carpeting, uncovered cables and obstructed view.
Health effect
There are different health effects that may result from a fall of a worker in at the workplace. In most cases, head injuries do occur depending on the type of fall. Head injuries may lead to trauma. Severe falls may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder in the victim of the fall.
Struck by (mass acceleration)
Hazard description
Struck by is a form of workplace hazard that results from the fall of an accelerating mass. It entails an accelerated mass that hits the body and thereby causing death or severe injuries to the victim. According to OSHA, some of the examples of stuck by hazard include projectiles and falling objects. Struck by accelerating mass is s form of hazard that occurs when there are injuries generated by forcible impact between the source of the injury and the victim. It is imperative to point out that the motion resulting to the contact is primarily that of the injury source rather than the victim (Osha.gov).
Causal Factors
There are various factors which can lead to injuries from struck by accelerating mass hazard. Struck by rolling equipment, hit by non-transport powered vehicles, hit by flying equipment or discharge objects, injured by equipment breaking in hand and injured as a result of swinging or slipping object help by a different worker (Cdc.gov). Also, struck by accelerating objects can be caused as a result of excavation, engulfment, landslides cave-in or mine collapse.
Health effect
Struck by accelerating mass hazard presents numerous health effects to the victim. Victims of this kind of hazard suffer from traumatic injuries to tendons, muscles, joints and ligaments. These injuries may lead to shoulder separation, herniated disc, sprains, twisted back, whiplash and strains. Sprain injuries include minor tears to ligaments, hyperextensions, and pulls. On the other hand, strain injuries include minor tears to tendons and muscles, pulls, and rotator cuff strains.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classifications. (2016). Retrieved 21 March 2016, from https://www.osha.gov/dte/grant_materials/fy10/sh-20856-10/Recordkeeping-Coding_Incidents_Handout.pdf
Environmental Hazards and Health Effects | National Center for Environmental Health | CDC. (2016). Cdc.gov. Retrieved 21 March 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/
