Preventing Hospital & Clinic Slip-and-Falls Exposed cords for medical equipment, wet floors, loose floor tiles – potential causes of slip and falls in hospital environments abound, contributing to thousands of injuries each year. Eliminating these preventable causes of injury should be a priority for hospitals and other medical facilities, as they have a significant impact on human health and facility profitability. Ensuring quick response to slips and falls by having adequate emergency call systems in place in health care facilities can also help mitigate the problem. Slip-and-falls are the leading causes of injury in hospitals and clinics for employees and patients alike, according to the National Institute of Health. Finding ways to reduce slips and falls can improve patient outcomes, reduce employee costs, and promote better health for all. In the work place, slips and falls are a major source of injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips and falls account for nearly a third of all workers’ compensation costs. The problem is particularly bad in health care environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that slips, trips, and falls are the second most common cause of lost workday injuries in hospitals. Hospitals have the largest percentage of slips, trips, and falls of any industry, with 38.2 per 10,000 employees. Health care employees aren’t the only ones in danger of a slip, trip, or fall in a hospital or clinic. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, slips, trips and falls are a common cause of injury in health care environments for patients. About a million patients fall in inpatient settings each year. Only about one to three percent of these falls result in a fracture, but even minor injuries sustained in a fall can impact patient recovery. Why Falls Happen in Hospitals Hospitals are fast paced environments where many people are constantly moving. Many employee slips, trips and falls happen when nurses, doctors and others are trying to quickly move from one part of the facility to another. Because they are always on the move, hospital employees may forget to safely put away equipment or set it up in a manner that minimizes fall risk. Among hospital patients, their physical condition puts them at greater risk of falling, particularly if they try to get up from the hospital bed unaided. Many hospital patients are also elderly, and age-related frailties many make them more susceptible to falls. Slips, trips, and falls cannot be entirely eliminated, but many are preventable, and health care facilities that take proactive measures can see a great reduction in these incidents. How to Reduce Slips, Trips & Falls Hospitals and clinics that want to reduce their number of slip, trip, and fall incidents would be well-served by adopting these practices: Create a culture of safety with posters and other printed materials emphasizing safety. Have regular reminders about slip, trip, and fall prevention. Also have regular training regarding safety. By keeping safety on your employees’ minds, you boost their awareness of hazards.
Evaluate your facility and eliminate hazards such as divots in floors, loose tiles, peeling floor tape, etc. Make sure work areas are uncluttered. Ensure adequate staffing to adequately monitor and assist patients. Implement policies to ensure cords are safely stored and handled. Make sure mats and runners are used properly. Have adequate nurse call systems in place to allow staff to quickly respond to emergencies involving slips, trips, and falls. With a little diligence and effort, hospitals and clinics can greatly improve their slip, trip, and fall numbers. Systems Technologies provides a variety of wireless nurse call solutions and fall prevention products for health care providers. Health care facilities seeking to reduce slip, trips, and falls can help stack the odds in their favor with these products.