Prevention of Slip Trips Falls and Injury

An article on ways to prevent slips trips and fall injuries written by a physical therapist.

Have you ever slipped, tripped, or fallen? Your first thought is always, “I hope nobody just saw what happened.” Each of us has at one time takin’ the plunge by walking to fast on an icy surface, tripped over that crazy crack in the sidewalk, or has forgotten or missed a step while taking the stairs OOppss. For others of us this may be more of a daily occurrence. Second only to motor vehicle accidents; slips, trips and falls are the most frequent accidents leading to personal injury. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the major cause of accidental deaths and
injuries in America are slip-and-fall accidents.

Most injuries are ligament sprains or muscle strains, but a significant percentage of falls result in fractures to the hip or wrist. Estimates are that 15 to 20 percent of all workers’ compensation costs are…