TITLE:	ES&H Manual
DOCUMENT ID:	6131 Trip and Fall Protection

1.0 Introduction

There have been serious injuries at Jefferson Lab as a result of trips and falls—for example, two broken ankles and a broken hip. Most trips and falls require two conditions:

· a hazard

· a person who is unaware of it

In most instances, trip and fall hazards are so easily eliminated that there is no excuse for them. Hazards to watch out for and eliminate include wet floors, loose or deteriorated floor coverings, items stored on the floor in unexpected places, unprotected wall openings and substandard stairs and railings. Ill-suited footwear or worn shoe soles are important contributing causes.

The most frequent trip and fall problem at Jefferson Lab has been trip hazards created by wires, extension cords, and cabling stretched across aisle ways, walkways, and stairs.

2.0 Hazard Avoidance

Take Action!

• If you see a wet floor where people walk, clean it up if you can; otherwise report it immediately to ext. 7400 and to the responsible supervisor.
• Don’t use substandard stairs, ladders, or platforms. Report them to your supervisor.
• Pay special attention to housekeeping. Don’t let someone’s mess become your injury.
• Wear proper shoes, suitable for your work environment. Wear safety shoes where required.
• If you see an electrical extension cord lying across the floor, take action to elevate or otherwise protect it.
• Use the handrail.
• Never stand on boxes, wire spools, chairs or use furniture as a ladder.

3.0 Responsibilities

3.1 Everyone at Jefferson Lab

· Be aware of your work environment. Assure yourself of secure footing and eliminate trip and fall hazards for others.

· Observe the safety practices outlined below.

· Correct hazards. If you find one you can’t correct, place a sign near it to warn others, and notify your supervisor or the area Safety Warden.

3.2 Supervisor

· Routinely assess the work area for trip and fall hazards.

· When submitting requests for design of new work areas, consult this chapter and Environmental, Safety, Health, and Quality (ESH&Q) support personnel for guidance.

· Ensure aisle ways are clear of obstacles which obstruct normal traffic paths.

· Ensure temporary wall or floor openings are guarded and visible.

· Ensure that workers subject to uncontrolled fall hazards > 4 ft. are provided with adequate fall protection equipment.

3.3 Facilities Management Manager

· Ensure that areas designed for personnel traffic are constructed in a manner consistent with applicable building codes.

· Ensure that the janitorial staff regularly removes wastes, debris, and other materials that could produce stumbling hazards.

· Ensure that the janitorial staff use warning signs to warn of surfaces which are wet from washing and may be slippery.

· Ensure that outdoor surfaces which are slippery due to ice or snow are treated as quickly as practicable. Maintain a sequence priority list of areas to be cleared of snow and ice, emphasizing high traffic areas: vehicles and pedestrians.

4.0 Required Safety Practices

4.1 Floors

· Keep passageways, storerooms, and work areas clean, orderly, dry, and sanitary. Where wet processes are used, drainage to an appropriate disposal point is required. Use mats or platforms to provide slip-resistant footing on floors that are necessarily wet for long periods of time.

· Place warning signs similar to Figure 1 adjacent to wet floors in public areas.

· Keep floors free of protruding nails, holes, loose material, and other trip hazards. Keep passageways that are egress routes clear of packages, equipment, and other material that could block people or slow them down on their way out during an emergency. See ES&H Manual Chapter 3510 Emergency Management Plan.

· Trim loose threads on carpets and report tears or open seams to Facilities Management.

· Install covers and/or guardrails to protect personnel from the hazards of open pits, holes, and tanks.

· Select footwear with good traction.

· Use a visual warning method (Figure 2) and/or striping to alert walkers to an uneven walking surface and to changes in floor elevation which are less than a normal stair step.

· Even slight discontinuities in floors cause trips when people are unaware of the condition. This makes it particularly important to report stair tread irregularities.

· In spacious work areas where walls are too far apart to form passageways, give strong consideration to marking evacuation routes with yellow paint or warning tape, and ensure that no one uses the marked area, even temporarily, to park material, equipment, or vehicles.

· Electric extension cords lying on the floor are trip hazards. Where possible, elevate extension cords at least eight feet. If an electrical cord must be temporarily run on the ground, secure it with yellow or yellow and black tape, use cord molding, or surround it with a protective barrier such as a wooden protector.

4.2 Wall Openings

Wall openings are most common during construction when a floor is complete but the walls are not complete. The same rules apply to open-sided floors, platforms, and runways. At Jefferson Lab, examples of wall openings are in the experimental halls at the entrance from the beam switchyard and the entrance to the beam dumps.

· Provide protection by installing rails (or an equivalent barrier) and a toe board (minimum height 4 inches) at any wall openings that have a drop of more than 4 ft. Railings must be constructed to comply with strict specifications. Consult Facilities Management for assistance with railing needs.

o Sometimes additional protection is needed such as a screen or net to prevent people from falling or to protect workers below from falling objects.

4.3 Stairs

· Keep stairways, including all parts of landings used as pathways, free of material.

· Don’t carry a two-arm load up or down stairs.

· The requirement for one, two, or more stair railings or handrails for stairs depends on the number of risers (steps), the width of the stairs, and whether the sides are closed or open.

o Stair railings or handrails are required for stairs which have four or more risers.

o At least one handrail is required for stairways up to 44 inches (1.1 m) wide having both sides enclosed and having four or more risers. Preferably, the handrail is on the right side descending.

For fall protection systems, refer to ES&H Manual Chapter 6131 Appendix T1 Fall Protection Systems.

4.4 Safety Harnesses

· Anyone operating a Jefferson Lab aerial work platform must wear a safety harness.

o See ES&H Manual Chapter 6131 Appendix T2 Fall Arrest Systems and ES&H Manual Chapter 6147 Aerial Work Platforms.

ISSUING AUTHORITY	CHAPTER AUTHOR	APPROVAL DATE	EFFECTIVE DATE	EXPIRATION DATE	REV.
ESH&Q Division	Jennifer Williams	03/10/06	03/10/06	03/10/09	0

This document is controlled as an on line file. It may be printed but the print copy is not a controlled document. It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the document is the same revision as the current on line file. This copy was printed on 10/2/2009.