Slip and Fall Prevention: A Practical Handbook

Published:
June 26, 2003 by CRC Press - 288 Pages
Author(s):
Steven Di Pilla, ESIS, Inc., Haddon Heights, New Jersey, USA

Purchasing Options

Hardback
Not available
in your region
ISBN 9781566706599
Cat# L1659
 

Features

  • Provides a compendium of codes, standards, and regulations for the U.S. and abroad from organizations such as ASTM, UL, OSHA, ADA, Access Board, NFPA, and ANSI.
  • Addresses less-obvious features of fall prevention, namely self-inspection, construction and special event control, lighting, and spill/wet programs.
  • Delivers a snapshot of the hazards and recommended controls specific to high-risk businesses, including restaurants, hotels/motels, healthcare facilities, and retail establishments
  • Examines practical application of tribometry, including equipment maintenance and calibration, flooring materials, floor wear, and cleaning methods
  • Explains the fundamentals of traction measurement and slip resistance factors

    • Summary

    The average cost of a worker fall is $12,470, increasing to over $26,000 when lost production and other costs are factored in. At a profit margin of 10%, more than $250,000 of revenue needs to be generated to cover a single slip/fall loss. Costs are higher for falls sustained by the public.

    Slip and Fall Prevention: A Practical Handbook responds by providing safety engineers and claims professionals with a one-stop guide to preventing and responding to slip and falls. This overview provides specific guidelines for facility design, effective management control programs, and test methods for pedestrian safety and slip resistance. In addition to exposure analysis of high-risk businesses, situations, and locations, the handbook also describes procedures for reporting, investigating, and mitigating incidents.

    Equipped with the information in this reference, businesses will be prepared to identify and manage factors contributing to slip and falls, reducing exposure to these frequent and costly losses

    Table of Contents

    Introduction (Statistics)
    Chapter 1 - Physical Evaluation
    About this Chapter
    Expectation
    Distractions
    Level Walkway Surfaces
    Level Walkway Surfaces and Water
    Parking Areas
    Changes in Levels
    Stairs
    Handrails
    Guards (or Guardrails)
    Ramps
    Floor Mats/Entrances and Exits
    Bathrooms
    Elevators
    Escalators
    Carpet
    Accessibility
    Signage
    Reference Standards
    Exhibits/Appendices

    Chapter 2 - Management Controls
    About this Chapter
    Engineering Precept
    Behavioral Safety and Pedestrian Traffic Flow
    Inspection and Maintenance Programs
    Self-Inspection Programs
    Spill and Wet Program
    Recommended Practices for Snow Removal
    Lighting
    Contractual Risk Transfer
    Construction, Renovation, and Special Event Planning
    Loss Analysis
    Exhibits/Appendices

    Chapter 3 - Principles of Slip Resistance
    About this Chapter
    Principles of Friction
    Slip Resistance Defined
    Slip Resistance Factors
    Slip Resistance Scale
    Surface Roughness
    Wet Surfaces
    Classes of Tribometers
    Hunter Machine

    Chapter 4 - ASTM Standards
    About this Chapter
    American Society for Testing and Materials
    Technical Committee ASTM F-13
    F489 Standard Test Method for Using a James Machine
    F609 Standard Test Method for Using a Horizontal Pull Slipmeter (HPS)
    F1678 Standard Test Method for Using a Portable Articulated Strut Slip Tester
    F1677 Standard Test Method for Using a Portable Inclineable Articulated Strut Slip Tester
    F1679 Standard Test Method for Using a Variable Incidence Tribometer
    Test Pad Material
    Other ASTM F-13 Standards
    Other ASTM Committees with Pedestrian Traction Activities
    A Work in Progress: The ASTM "Gold" Standard
    Other Ground Breaking Research
    Exhibits/Appendices

    Chapter 5 - Other U.S. Standards and Guidelines
    About this Chapter
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration
    Americans with Disabilities Act
    Access Board Recommendations
    Federal Specifications
    U.S. Military Specifications (Navy)
    NFPA International
    American National Standards Institute
    Underwriters Laboratories
    Model Building Codes
    Obsolete Standards
    U.S.-Based Industry Associations Involved with Slip Resistance
    Exhibit/Appendix

    Chapter 6 - Flooring and Tribometry
    About this Chapter
    The Threshold of Safety
    Uses for Tribometers
    Operator Qualifications and Competency
    Equipment Calibration and Maintenance
    Identifying Types of Flooring and Their Properties
    Floor Finishes and Their Properties
    The Impact of Wear
    Cleaning Methods
    Maintenance and Condition of Floor Care Equipment
    Floor Treatment Study
    Exhibit/Appendix

    Chapter 7 - Footwear
    About this Chapter
    Introduction
    Footwear Design for Slip Resistance
    Labeling
    Advertising
    Other Selection Guidelines
    Other Protective Features
    Maintenance
    Footwear Programs
    Federal Specification - USPS No. 89C
    International Footwear Standards for Slip Resistance


    Chapter 8 - Overseas Standards
    About this Chapter
    Slip and Fall Statistics Overseas
    Overseas Standard Development
    Ramp Tests
    Pendulum Testers
    Digitized Dragsleds
    Other Dragsleds
    Portable Friction Tester
    International Standards
    Overseas Organizations Involved in Slip Resistance
    Exhibits/Appendices

    Chapter 9 - Profiles of Selected Industries
    About this Chapter
    All Occupations
    Restaurants
    Hospitality
    Healthcare
    Mercantile
    Trucking Industry
    Exhibits/Appendices

    Chapter 10 - Accident Investigation and Mitigation
    About this Chapter
    Pitfalls of Accident Reporting and Investigation
    Theories of Liability
    Accident Investigation
    Incident Reporting
    Occurrence Analysis
    Claim Mitigation
    Fraud Control Indicators
    Fraud Control
    Documentation
    Staff Issues
    Exhibits/Appendices

    Bibliography

    Related Titles