267428 Slips, trips and falls in the hospital environment

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Theodore K. Courtney, MS, CSP , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
David A. Lombardi, PhD , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Santosh K. Verma, ScD, MPH, MBBS , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Melanye J. Brennan, MS , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Helen Marucci-Wellman, PhD , Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Gary Sorock, PhD MS RN , Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
Wen R. Chang, PhD , Center for Physcial Ergonomics, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Jennifer Bell, PhD , Division of Safety Research, CDC-NIOSH, Morgantown, WV
James Collins, PhD , Division of Safety Research, CDC-NIOSH, Morgantown, WV
Raoul Grönqvist, PhD , Department of Occupational Safety, Finnish Institute for Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland
Introduction: Occupational slips, trips and falls account for over 25% of injuries with days away from work in hospitals. A case follow-back study was conducted to better describe the circumstances experienced by hospital workers who had slipped, tripped or fallen (STF).

Method: One hundred fifty-three health care workers, who reported a STF to the occupational health department in one of four private and three public US hospitals, were interviewed about their injury event using a structured telephone questionnaire.

Results: Participants were predominantly female (86%) with a mean age (range) of 46 (19-67). 136 workers (89%) fell: 55% after slipping, 32% after tripping. Liquid contaminants were involved in 35% of events. 58% of STF occurred at transitional areas, of these: 34% were dry/wet transitions, 18% one floor type to another, 14% uneven surfaces. The knees, back, ankles/feet were most frequently injured. Slipping versus tripping resulted in different predominant directions of fall and body parts impacted. For injured workers (93%), strains/sprains (28%), contusions (28%), and non-specific pain and soreness (24%) were typical. Fifty-nine percent of workers who experienced STF were in direct patient care occupations (e.g., nursing, therapy). Forty-two percent of worker STF occurred in public areas inside the facility, 25% in public areas outside the facility, and 18% in direct patient care areas.

Conclusion: The results indicate the importance of managing surface contamination and assessing risks related to surface transitions in hospital settings and have been used to inform hospital-based interventions which also have implications for patient and visitor safety.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Occupational health and safety
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the types of hazards that lead to hospital worker falls Discuss the the differences between hazards and injuries resulting from slipping versus tripping

Keywords: Occupational Safety, Health Communications

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been principal or co-principal investigator of multiple epidemiologic studies of slips, trips and falls. My published research in STF has received the Floyd Medal from the Ergonomics Society (2003) and a NORA Partnering Award (2006)from the CDC. My work is among the most cited in this field.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5081.0: Occupational Injury Research