Falls are events where a part of the body inadvertently comes in contact with the ground. The word inadvertent is important, as there are many reasons for which peoples' bodies would interact with the ground, such as in kneeling, reaching for something on the floor, crawling under something, or lying on one's back to work if you're paining the roof of a chapel in Italy. When someone inadvertently comes into contact with the ground, that may be the result of a fall on the level, where a person falls down onto a surface that is the same plane or height as the surface on which they are walking, or a fall from height where a person falls down to a level that is lower than the one on which they were originally walking. Falls are the result of a loss of balance which can arise from internal or external causes.
Loss of balance owing to factors internal to the worker's body can be dizziness from dehydration or exposure to a chemical that causes disorientation, unsteadiness, or shakiness, can be the result of exhaustion or weakness from prolonged work, can be the result of numbness or an inability to safely balance on ground, from inebriation from alcohol or the effect of an intoxicant, from medication, or from other factors. Where those factors can be reasonably predicted, assumed to interact, or otherwise appraised, they should be controlled proactively so as to minimise the likelihood of their occurrence as well as to mitigate the significance of the harm that may potentially arise from their happening.
Loss of balance owing to factors external to the worker's body may be caused by unexpected forces or environmental factors that cause a loss of balance from which the worker cannot recover. When working in dynamic environments such as moving platforms or on a boat which may bob with the waves, a worker's base of support and position of their center of balance relative to that support is always changing, and so may expose them to more risk of fall. Where workers are navigating spaces, cables, ledges, transitions in material, or fixtures may increase the likelihood of tripping. Where the floor is surfaced with smoothened material, is made wet from washing or treatment, or is otherwhise made more slippery from spills, fluid accumulation or from the wear of workers' shoes, the worker is more liekly to slip on that terrain and experience a fall.
Falls can affect people differently depending on their age, state of health, the distance of the fall, the surface onto which the person falls, and other factors. Younger workers may recover from simple falls more readily than older workers who, by virtue of physical changes that happen with age, may be more likely to experience severe injury. Of course, there are intensities of force and significance of distance beyond which a severe injury is inevitable. A fall onto a softer surface like grass may cause less damage to those parts of a worker's body that come in contact with it than if the worker were to fall onto steel or concrete, which are less deformable. If the speed at which a worker is falling is arrested or stopped, that may mean the difference between a minor or significant injury, or death.
Each workplace is different, with different demands, methods of business, and is staffed by people whose capacities, needs, and risk profiles are different. Managing ergonomic, environmental, and occupational health and safety challenges requires a business to examine and engage with the ecosystem of factors that give rise to risk, and how that risk may affect people. Each workplace is different and so sometimes the same problem will require different solutions. This applies to workers as well - every person is different and so may require different support, supervision, or resources to perform comfortably and sustainably. Under Work Health and Safety law, consultation with the workforce, the control of risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and the provision of information, training, instruction and support to the worker by the workplace, is essential to meet obligations to provide workers with a workplace that is as free of risk as far is reasonably practicable.
In our capacity as consultants, Atlas Physio will explore and scope the business and its needs, examining how exposures, risks, and processes contribute to the hazard ecosystem, best inform the design and arrangement of procedural, policy-based, and practical risk controls. Our solutions are tailored to the needs of those with whom we work, implemented in a simple, sustainable, and supportive fashion, designed to be robust and resilient, and to support the ongoing life of the business as well as the sustainable wellbeing of the workers who undertake the day to day activities of work.
At Atlas Physio, we provide reporting, structured control, and ongoing management of risk onsite, on the road, and wherever work is done. We are open seven days a week, and are happy to offer a brief complimentary discussion to explore the needs of your business and your workers if you are an employer, and your needs if you are a worker. Reach out today to arrange a discussion and take the first step toward managing risk and working safely, supported by expertise that is practical, reliable, and designed to deliver lasting results.