Publication aims to prevent falls in hospitals

Atlanta – NIOSH recently released a publication on preventing slips, trips and falls among health care workers (.pdf file).

The publication, issued in January, outlines major fall hazards for the workers, including contaminants on the floor, poor drainage, surface irregularities, inadequate lighting and clutter. It also provides recommendations for training and preventive actions.

Slips, trips and falls are the second most common cause of lost-workday injuries in hospitals. In 2009, the hospital incidence rate for such injuries was 38.2 per 10,000 employees – 90 percent higher than the average rate for all other private industries combined, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.