Some Important Factors For The Reduction of Slip And Fall Injuries
Becoming injured is, across the board, a very common thing to occur in life indeed. After all, there are just so many ways in which one might become injured. In major events as well as in minor ones, injuries are to be expected. But in many cases and situations, the likelihood and severity of these injuries can be reduced immensely, thanks to proper planning and the use of tools that vary from synthetic slings to self locking slings to even wire railing parts. Proper attention to detail in and of itself is something that can go quite a long way indeed.
Preventing injuries on stairs is something that will require particular attention to detail, thanks to the frequency in which people become injured in this manner. As a matter of fact, there are up to one million stairs related injuries that take course over the span of just one single year here in the United States alone, let alone anywhere else in this world. Unfortunately, elderly people are particularly likely to sustain such a fall – and its related injury – which is something that is supported by the fact that up to one third of all elderly people will sustain a serious stairway fall over that same yearly period (a huge chunk of this population indeed, of this there is just no doubt at all).
But the use of tools like synthetic swings and web slings can sometimes make a world of difference. Other tools can also help elderly people to navigate up and down the stairs in their home without the risk of falling (or at the very least, with a greatly lowered risk of suffering from such an accident). And in public spaces, escalators and particularly elevators can provide a safer alternative to traditional stairs for those who are not able to climb them for whatever reason.
These tools, from synthetic slings to rigging products to trailer door straps, can make working environments much safer as well. After all, the construction industry alone holds a risk greater than many other fields, one that particularly revolves around falls, the top cause of death for the entirety of the industry. And many of these deaths that occur in construction workers could actually have been prevented quite well, something that might come as a bit of a surprise even to people within the industry.
But OSHA violations themselves are more common than you might realize (even if you work in construction yourself). In fact, a lack of proper protection against falls is considered to be the largest and most frequently perpetrated OSHA violation out there. But by putting guardrails in place, many issues regarding fall injuries can be avoided. These guardrails, of course, have to meet certain qualifications in order to be considered safe enough by OSHAs standards. For instance, they should ideally have a height of around 42 inches. However, it is still considered legal and safe if that height is up to three inches taller or three inches lower, though not outside of this. In addition to this, the opening in any given guardrail cannot be greater than 19 inches, any more and the guardrail could no longer be considered to be as safe.
Of course, it’s not just guardrails that can be used to promote overall safety and well being in the field of construction. In addition to guardrails, tools like synthetic slings can also keep construction workers safe. When used in even the most precarious of positions, synthetic slings can have a considerable benefit, as can other types of slings like single leg slings and even web slings. Ultimately, the use of a tool like synthetic slings is not something to be overlooked, as using tools like synthetic slings can actually even save lives.
At the end of the day, falling can be more dangerous than many of us give it credit for being. In many situations, falling is hugely preventable, both for the elderly as well as in the field of construction. Taking these preventative measures, such as through installing guardrails or through the use of synthetic slings, can save the lives of many, of this there is just very little doubt indeed.
