According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over one million Americans suffer a slip, trip, and fall injury and over 17, 000 people die in the U.S. annually because of these injuries. Slip, trip and fall injuries make up 15 percent of all job related injuries, which account for between 12 and 15 percent of all Workers’ Compensation expenses.
The CDC categorizes falls into two basic types: elevated falls and same-level falls. Same-level falls are more common and therefore cause more injuries to more people, but elevated falls are the most serious and cause more severe injuries to a less number of people. Over 60 percent of all elevated falls are from a height of less than 10 feet. Same-level falls are usually slips and trip accidents and injury generally takes place when the individual hits a walking or working surface or hits another object in the course of the fall.
Slip and falls are mainly caused by a slippery surface. When human beings walk two types of slips can occur. One of these occurs as the heel of the forward foot meets the walking surface and the front foot slips forward forcing the person to fall backward. The other type occurs when the rear foot slips backward applying force to move forward on the sole of the rear foot.
The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that there are 110,000 injuries to the feet and toes of U.S. workers annually accounting for 19 percent of all disabling work injuries.
Slip and falls accidents can cause other complications including:
•Death
•Incapacitation
•Broken bones and fractures
•Long-term medical complications
•Head trauma
•Spinal cord injuries
The CDC reports that almost 1,800 older Americans die every year from falls and fall related injuries in nursing homes across the nation. The Center estimates that nursing home residents account for 20% of all deaths from falls in persons 65 years of age and older. Over one third of all adults in that age group will suffer some sort of a slip and fall accident every year. Slip and fall accidents account for more injury deaths of older Americans than any other form of injury. In total, over 15,000 people 65 or older die annually from slip and fall injuries close to 2 million are treated in emergency rooms for injuries suffered as result of a slip and fall.
For more information from the CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2011-123/pdfs/2011-123.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/toolkit/Falls_ToolKit/DesktopPDF/English/booklet_Eng_desktop.pdf
