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Two Pershing Square 2300 Main Street, Suite 170 Kansas City MO 64108Two Pershing Square
2300 Main Street, Suite 170
Kansas City, MO 64108
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Telephone: (816) 221-6600
Toll Free: 1 (877) 284-6600
Fax: (816) 221-6612
Falls happen for a variety of reasons in the workplace. Slippery work surfaces, unstable work platforms, unprotected holes, falls from ladders. In fact, falling from a ladder is one of the most common types of work accidents, especially in the construction industry (where falls happen to be a leading cause of death).
According to the CDC, over one million Americans suffer a slip, trip, and fall injury and over 17,000 people die annually because of these injuries. In fact, on average, falls are one of the top three leading causes of unintentional deaths.
Slip, trip, and falls often result in serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken hips or pelvis, shoulder and neck injuries and more.
Many slip, trip, and fall accidents result in minor injuries, a sprain, a laceration, bruises. We do not always think of these types of accidents resulting in serious injuries until it happens to you or a loved one.
If you are not aware of the dangers of slip, trip and fall accidents, these statistics and facts will help educate and inform you about the potential dangers.
Do you know the difference between a slip, trip, and fall? A slip is when you lose your footing, a trip is when you catch your foot on or in something, and a fall is when you come down suddenly, often hitting the ground or another object with a great deal of force.
Slip, trip and fall accidents can happen anywhere – at a retail store or office building, in a parking lot, at a neighbor’s home or anywhere in between. In fact, according to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits. Specifically, slips and falls account for over 1 million visits, or 12%, of total falls.
Slip, trip and fall accidents can result from hazards such as:
Whether you are on a commercial property or residential, stairs can present dangers to both able-bodied and disabled persons, young and old alike.
Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time and any place. Sometimes it is just that, an accident plain and simple. Other times, it may be due to the negligence of another party. Whatever the cause, the elderly – those 65 and older – are at a greater risk to fall and suffer a serious, sometimes life-threatening, injury.
Elderly: 29 million falls. 800,000 hospitalizations. 28,000 deaths. Click To Tweet
The first day of fall this year, September 22, 2016, is the Annual Falls Prevention Awareness Day. Sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), this event is designed to raise awareness about how to prevent fall-related injuries among older adults.
Did you know that 1 in 3 older Americans fall every year? Click To Tweet
Slip, trip and fall accidents often result in minor injuries — bruises, tenderness, a sprained wrist, some scrapes, cuts, and a bruised ego. We laugh to cover up our embarrassment and move on.
However, slip and fall accidents account for over 1 million hospital emergency room visits each year, some of which result in much more serious injuries.