How to Prevent Slip and Fall Injuries in Hospitals
Slips and falls result in more than 2 million emergency room visits a year, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Although age is a factor in most such accidents (for the elderly and infants alike), to reduce the risk, you must consider all elements, including when and where the accident occurred.
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Post all safety procedures within view of personnel and patients. Having prevention tips and procedures posted in a simple and clear manner will assist your hospital with safety awareness. Make sure the instructions and tips are easy to understand for all who read them; tailoring instructions to a third-grade reading level is recommended.
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Conduct a safety sweep of all departments. Have your hospital remind all personnel that they need to do a safe sweep of their area looking for any debris, trash on the floor, or anything that can be considered unsafe. Such safety sweeps should take just a few minutes and could save your hospital the expense of an accident victim's emergency room visit.
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Place clean-up stations in all departments. Spills on the floor from a drink or a leak at a water fountain can cause a slip and fall, so having a clean-up station accessible to staff or even patients will help with prevention awareness. Clean-up stations should include towels, gloves, extra trash bags, safety cones, broom and dust pan, and a cleaning solution to assist with spills. If the spill is spread over a large area, mark off the area or block off the area with cones so people walking by are aware there is a spill.
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Place rugs at all entrances and other areas where there is a possibility of dampness collecting (like a drinking fountain). Be careful not to create a trip hazard with the rugs, ensuring that the edges are secure. If the edges keep posing a hazard to passing traffic, they can be held in place with brightly colored tape.
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Complete a daily checklist, department by department, to ensure that all areas are compliant with safety procedures and regulations. Have a department head fill out the checklist before the start of every shift. Doing the check just once a day will not be good enough for an operation that functions 24 hours a day. Checking off the list will help departments restock their clean-up stations as needed, or to spot any hazards that need to be addressed.
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