Get on Patrol to Prevent Injuries

Winter is slip, trip and fall season. According to Vince Manna, PDRMA Risk Management Consultant, the most dangerous areas for agency visitors are entrances and exits. “Your agency can reduce slips, trips and falls by deputizing supervisors and/or employees to create a ‘Slip Patrol’ to monitor entrances and exits.

“Slip Patrols follow the ‘Six S’ routine in the bullets below,” Manna explains. “It stresses being proactive and providing training and proper tools to keep entrances and exits safe.”

• Spot — Train and coach staff to look for hazards (standing water, ice build-up, etc.) that can contribute to winter slip, trip and fall incidents.
• Shovel — Establish schedules and a system for removing snow.
• Salt — Rain or snow in the forecast? Place salt in common areas early in the season and ensure your Slip Patrol has a plan for spreading it near entrances before it becomes slippery.
• Squeegee — Remove accumulated water in wet spots using mops or squeegees.
• Swap — Swap out mats and runners when they become wet/soggy — and have replacements nearby!
• Signage — Place signs and/or cones in areas that are at risk of being slippery and/or are drying.

“There’s also a seventh ‘S’ — Systems — that’s key for managers to create to encourage safety and support all activities,” Manna adds. “Encourage frequent visual inspections to spot potential hazards, so it becomes routine for all your staff to notice at-risk situations.”

Streamline the time it takes for Slip Patrols to keep exits and entrances safe by ensuring staff has: 

• Easy access to mops, water extraction machines and signs.
• Schedules in place for shoveling, salting and mopping duties.
• Plenty of entrance mats and a schedule for changing them regularly.

He also suggests taking a few extra minutes at your agency’s next staff/facility meeting to:

• Establish ways to incorporate the Six S routine into daily activities.
• Provide easy access to equipment and supplies your Slip Patrol needs.
• Have supervisors reinforce the Six S routine with staff and remind them to do their part.