Slips, trips and falls in the hospital environment

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.