A Fraction on Friction: Outdoor Slip and Fall Prevention w/ Peter Koch

On the surface, preventing Slip and Fall events outdoors may seem like a pretty simple topic to address, but unlike preventing slips and falls inside, the outdoor environment adds a level of complexity to the problem. The weather is something that, no matter how we try, we can’t control. Inside a building or at a workstation you know the surfaces and lighting, control the footwear, and anticipate potential contaminates. Outside, the weather is a variable which, while we can predict what it will do, we don’t always understand the magnitude or anticipate the changing conditions or how the forecast conditions will impact the surfaces we have to work on. And when we let our guard down or lose situational awareness, the consequences can be painful. So, what is the best strategy for helping workers stay on their feet in an outdoor environment? There is no magic bullet, or a one size fits all answer. But looking at the problem systematically can help. In this episode Peter discusses 5 Focus areas that can help provide a road map to more effectively preventing slip and falls out of doors. Peter Koch: Hey, listeners, today's episode is an installment of our Fractional Safety series. These are shorter episodes where I take a topic and talk about small steps that you can take to improve a portion of your safety culture or control our particular hazard or exposure. Safety isn't a one size fits all culture, and sometimes doing something small can make big improvements. In today's episode, A Fraction on Friction. I'm going to look at steps you can take to control outdoor slip and fall incidents. And on the surface, it may seem like a pretty simple topic to address. But unlike preventing slip and falls inside, the outdoor environment adds a level of complexity to the problem. The weather is something that no matter how we try, we can't control inside of a building or at a workstation. You know, the surfaces, the lighting, you can control the footwear and anticipate potential contaminants. Outside, however, the weather is a variable which well, we can predict what it will do, but we don't always understand the magnitude or anticipate the changing conditions or how the forecast conditions will impact the surface. We have to work on. I've spent much of my life working in playing out of doors and while being prepared for the conditions is a critical component for staying safe, keeping situational awareness is essential. So, let's face it, when the stakes are high and the risk is high, we tend to make better choices. We tend to keep our focus, take what's around us, and then process it to make decisions for root selection, balance, foot placement, speed and even engagement in the hazard. Peter Koch: I consider a team summiting Everest or someone traversing glaciated terrain or maybe even carrying a one of a kind object or traversing a slippery surface with an existing and current injury. Slip and fall events in these situations can have significant negative consequences. But because we understand the impact of a mistake or our decision, we tend to pay more attention and our situational awareness goes up and sometimes our risk-taking behavior goes down and we can be successful. Now, there's many reasons why situational awareness can be compromised in these high-risk situations. But for the sake of argument, let's assume that there are no mistakes or improper interpretation of the threat assessment. Unfortunately, not every task or environment, especially at work, can force us to maintain a heightened level of situational awareness. We may become so accustomed to the risk that we are callous to the consequences and we start taking greater risks. Or we may assume that the risk will be managed by someone else like the team or trip leader or the maintenance guys. Even the best of us will lose focus at one point or another. And regardless of the reason when we let our guard down, which is inevitable, slip and falls can happen. So, what's the best strategy for helping workers stay on their feet in an outdoor environment? I haven't been able to find a magic bullet. Peter Koch: I'll tell you what. So, in it that's no one size fits all answer either. But looking at the problem systematically has helped me in the past and I like to try to break things down into manageable bits or progressions. So, let's think of five focus areas compatibility, lighting, surface obstructions, traction enhancers and environmental impact. So, let's take those five focus areas and break them down. So, first compatibility if you know you're going to be working in the out of doors. So, what is the surface like and how is it compatible with your footwear? Because you have a surface and you've got something on your feet. And if the two things aren't compatible to begin with, you are already at a greater risk of slipping and falling. So, think about it. What does the surface look like? Is it dry pavement or concrete? Is it wet grass or turf? Is it a loose gravel or a sandy surface? Is it icy? Is it oily? Is it. Does it have snow on it? So, what does the surface look like? What are we coming into? What are we going to have to work on that day? And then what does your footwear look like? What do you have? Are they outdoor boots? Are do they have big chunky treads on the bottom? Do they come up above your ankle? Are they really prepared to be out of doors or are they the boots or shoes that you wore from your house to the car and now you're in the parking lot at work and they're really not compatible? Peter Koch: They're you're inside shoes possibly. Or they're your comfy shoes or maybe they are an outdoor shoe or boot, but they are your comfortable outdoor shoes or boots. And they're pretty played out. There's no soul on them anymore they're. They don't give you a lot of lateral ankle support. How will these two things interact? Will they interact well? Will you be able to step on the surface with your footwear? Will the footwear be able to accept whatever is underneath it, to be able to push it out of the way and get to a stable surface? If it's loose and gravelly, if it's snowy, that needs to be a pretty chunky sole so that the contaminant on the surface can be pushed up into those the grooves of your footwear and be able to get to a stable surface. If it's icy, you need to have a lot of surface contact. So, you might need more surface contact down there. You might need more less chunky, but more a surface that has more and maybe some softer rubber on it. So is there the possibility to even change your footwear so if you know it's going to be a changing environment, you might go from one area to another, you might be on dry pavement or you might be then going to something else, you might need to change your footwear. Peter Koch: So, do you have that and that? The thing here is to think about compatibility. Is my footwear compatible with the surface that I'm going to walk on and not there's no one footwear that is going to be best on every surface? There are situations in my past when I'm going to work with a client or to be going into a particular situation where I know I have to be outside in a in a winter environment and then I have to go inside. And even then, the shoes that I'm going to wear outside, which might be very compatible for a slippery wintery type surface, are not compatible at all when I get into the inside. So, I might actually have a cocked sole on my shoe. And we'll talk about footwear later. So, I've got some spikes on my shoes, which are great to have when I'm outside. But when I go inside and it's a concrete floor or a tile floor or even a hardwood floor, which is gonna get damage, it's not compatible. So, I might have to change, or I might need to take more caution or be more cognizant of where I am. Peter Koch: So, compatibility is pretty key. So, knowing what the surface is going to look like and then understanding what footwear that you have available. So that's the first thing to think about. Is it compatible? The second thing to consider is lighting like how are you going to be able to see? And if it's a workplace that you're going to be at for the first time, you might not know the scope of the lighting situation inside and outside. You might have to take it are evaluate it and get an get an idea of where you're gonna be. But if you've been there for a while, you've worked there for a while. You might know what the lighting is. What is the artificial lighting situation? Are there dark areas where you might not be able to see that surface? Very well. You know that it's gonna be outside. It could be slippery. It could be snowy. It could be gravelly. And this area is pretty dark. So that's going to change how you interact with that surface, how fast you go, what you do. So lighting is important. Is it going to be daytime versus nighttime? Do you have to bring something with you to illuminate that area? If it's going to be at nighttime, is it an area where you don't normally have artificial lighting? So you might be working, say, as a security guard and you might be on a campus and there's going to be areas that might be darker than others as you're walking around and through or you might be working a second shift somewhere and you've got to go between buildings and there might be a section of the parking lot or the walkway that isn't as well-lit as it should be. Peter Koch: Should you have a flashlight? Should you have a headlamp? Should you have something there to be able to enhance the lighting that's there. Flip it around. Bright sunshine does a great job for us to be able to see what's around us. But take that sunlight, put it into a bright, sunny day against the snow. And all of a sudden when I move from that bright area into a shadowed area, that area is even darker because it takes a little bit of time for our eyes to adjust and to be able to see contrast again. So there again, no those areas and be prepared on those bright, sunny days. You might need to have sunglasses to help prepare yourself or to help manage the effect of that bright sun on your eyes so that when you move from one area to another, for a bright area to a dimmer area, you can take those sunglasses off and it will take less time for your eyes to adjust. So lighting, understand how the surface, the area is going to be lit. Peter Koch: Where are the building lights? Do you need to have a headlamp or a flashlight if you don't have access to those? Is there a time where you might need to have your vehicle lights on? So, say you're delivering packages or you're moving from building to building and dropping things off or you're evaluating the security in a particular space because that's your job and you're driving from area to area. You might need to point your vehicle lights in those areas so that you can see the surface that you're going to be engaging in and walking on. So lighting is that second thing that we have to look at. So, the first one was compatibility of the surface in our footwear. The second is lighting. Third are surface obstructions and general housekeeping. So, what is the surface area? What does it look like? So, it's not just what the environment brings or is it wet? Is it slippery? But what's on it? Are there things that I can actually pick up? If it's snowing, can I have a path shoveled or can I shovel a path in my working out of doors and. I have tools and cords and hoses in the walkway that I have to traverse back and forth from the truck to the worksite. Can I keep that area clean? So, what can I do to manage my work way or my walk path? My walking path making sure that you have good housekeeping practices, that nothing is going to be laid across those walking paths and especially going from one spot, one work area to another work area or from the space that you're working back to where you keep your tools or the truck or the tool crib. Peter Koch: So, consider that. Do I have clear and consistent walking paths? Can I have good housekeeping or do good housekeeping? And if there are surface obstructions, have a policy and a procedure that it gets cleaned up right away. I mean, think about inside if I'm working inside any particular building that we're gonna be working in. If it's manufacturing or food service or hospitality or health care, if I spill something on the floor, there's typically a spill response process or policy where something gets spilled on the floor, it gets cleaned up right away. And there's two reasons for that. One is an environmental impact and two is a workplace safety impact. So, if I clean it up right away, there's less of a chance that it's going to affect the environment. And two if I clean it up right away, there's less of a chance that an employee will actually engage in that and potentially slip and fall. Out of doors, we tend not to have that same policy. Peter Koch: Now, certainly if we're working in an environmentally sensitive area and we spill something, especially a chemical by accident, then there is a cleanup process for that. That should happen. But we don't always clean up the workspace to make sure that we're not stepping over things. Companies that have those policies and procedures in place to keep the walkways clear typically have fewer slip trip and fall events. Now, that could be right on the ground or it could be on a platform that you have could be a drill rig platform that you have, could be a set of scaffolding, scaffolding that you have. It could be an elevated deck that you're working on. It doesn't have to be the ground, but it could be the ground. So just think about whatever you're standing on. If you're walking from one place to the other. Can I keep it clear? What's the policy? What's the procedure? And remember, if you see it, it's typically going to be your responsibility to pick it up and move it out of the way. So that's third surface obstructions and general housekeeping. So again, compatibility was first, second was lighting. Third surface obstructions and general housekeeping, so forth. We start looking more at our footwear. So what? What do we have on our feet again? And not if we look at it, is. Is it compatible? And if it's not compatible, is there something that we can do to make it more compatible? Or how do we how do we put something on our feet that will interact well with the surface that I'm going to stand on? So, think about it. Peter Koch: Do I need traction enhancers on my feet? So, I have a shoe that I'm wearing. It's decent for the out-of-doors, but there's not a lot that's going to keep you upright all the time in a slippery, snowy, icy environment. So, you might need to have ice cleats or traction enhancers on your feet. And there's a ton of different traction enhancers. They have in-step cleats. They have footwear with permanently cocked soles. So, they have spikes that are either manufactured into the soles or they actually manufacture soles where you can insert screws that will allow you to keep traction. They have pull on spikes that just go over the bottom, the entire bottom of your shoe rubber mounted or they could be a full plate that goes over that depending on what you're at. They have overshoes that you can pull over the entire shoe that you have. So, you could actually wear an inside shoe, pullover the overshoe that will have a traction handsaw built into the bottom. There's a ton of different possibilities for traction enhancers. Which ones are the best? Well, it really depends on the environment that you're going to work in. Peter Koch: If you're a delivery driver, you're an oil delivery driver, a propane driver, oil driver, oil delivery driver, or you're a package delivery driver. And you have to go from your vehicle to the client's house and then back and forth, get back in and then drive away. The overshoe or the pull-on spikes might not be the best because it takes a little bit of time to pull them on and off each time. And if I don't, they might be great for walking, but they're not great for driving. Those pull-on spikes will actually get caught on the brake pedal and the gas pedal. And they're not designed for that. An in-step cleat might be a better choice, but again, it all depends on the environment that you're gonna be in. You might be in northern New England or you might be in Michigan or out in in the northwest somewhere where there's a ton of snow and an in-step cleat is not going to be enough to keep you upright. You might be working out in the forest, so you might need to have something that's got more of a permanently cocked sole on it that's going to allow you to move around in the out-of-doors, yet still operate the equipment that you have. So, my advice is to look at the different types that are out there. Peter Koch:  Try to figure out what might be the best, pick a couple of them and try them, see what your staff like, see what you like. See what works well for you. Because honestly, the best traction enhancer that you have are the ones that are on your feet. If they're not on your feet, or they're in the toolbox someplace or there sitting next to you on that car or they're back at your house. They're not going to help you if you don't have them. You can't wear them. And frankly, if they're that much of a pain to put on and off, the chances that you're going to actually use them when you need them are pretty slim. So, they need to be easy to take on and off if that's what you need to do. And they also have to be functional for the environment that you're going to be in. So, again, what is the best type of traction enhancement that you can have for your shoe? And again, it's going to depend on the environment or the different types of surfaces that you're going to interact with. Peter Koch: So, first, again, compatibility that we have, second lighting, third surface obstructions. Fourth, traction enhancers for your footwear. And then last, we're looking at environmental impact. How does the environment impact the surface? So, we have a surface. And again, it could be ground, it could be pavement. It could be decking. It could be metal. But how does the environment affect that? What is going to happen that day, either before you get to work, while you're at work, or when you're leaving work? That's going to affect your ability to stay upright. Is it going to snow? Is the temperature going to change enough where it's gonna go from rain to freezing rain? Is it just going to rain? Is it going to be wet pavement? Is there a lot to dew for the grass or is there a lot of dirt and leaves, loose stuff or other contaminants on that surface? What is the environment going to do to change things for you? And then once we know what the potential is, we can make some changes. We can do something that could modify the surface, kind of like our footwear, where we can put a traction enhancer on our footwear. We can do something simple to modify the surface if we know and can be prepared for the type of impact the environment would have. So, sand and salt, or if you're in an environmentally sensitive area, maybe it's just sand or maybe there's another option for you to use to give you some traction beyond what you put on your feet. Peter Koch: So, what can you put down on the surface that will help increase traction even though it does increase the risk of other injuries like a repetitive motion injury or back or shoulder injuries? It's still a great way to remove or eliminate some of those surface contaminant ice and snow, raking the leaves, moving the loose dirt and rock out of the way if that's going to be in your path. So, what can you do? Can you modify it with sand and salt? Can you modify it with shoveling or can you actually choose a different path? We consider that we tend to like straight lines as human beings, but if we know that this potential surface can get very slippery, if it gets wet, if it if there's freezing rain, if there's snow, if there's something else on it, maybe I should choose a different path. This is the path I always take when I come to work. This is the path I always take going from point A to point B. But today, I might want to go around and take a little longer to get from where I get from where I am to where I want to go because of the environmental impact. But if we're not paying attention, you can't make that choice. We have to have that heightened situational awareness. Peter Koch: Something else could be a permanent traction enhancement onto that surface. Peter Koch: They have matting that can be that can be heated, that can actually melt the snow and ice, or there could be a permanent heating unit placed underneath the concrete or the pavement onto the walkways so that it helps to melt the ice and snow in some areas. You just can't keep up with it as a as a maintenance team, if you have 30 doors and maybe 10 miles of sidewalk and other paths that you have to maintain. It's gonna be really hard to do with the small maintenance crews. So sometimes the areas that are more traveled might need to have spaces with permanent solutions. But again, it's not a one size fits all because that permanent solution is quite costly. So that might not be the best solution for a small company that goes from point A to point B. It might mean that they have to address it in other ways. Do I have a bucket of sand and salt with me in the truck? That way, if the homeowner or the other business, then I'm going to hasn't maintained the space. I have something within the vehicle that I bring with me that I could put on the snow or the surface to help maintain it better. Peter Koch: So, as we think about these five areas of focus, five focus areas, we have our compatibility. We have lighting, surface obstructions, general housekeeping, traction enhancers and then environmental impact. So, some of this must be done before you get to the job. Footwear selection like I need to choose my footwear. Before I get to the job, I have to bring it with me. Traction enhancement devices. I should have those with me headlamps, lighting, enhancement, those should be with me that I have to anticipate what the challenges are going to be and bring them with me, because if I don't have them, I'm not going to use them. So, the chances of one of those being used if I don't have them with me is none. Right? A tool back at the shop or one on the truck does you absolutely no good in the field. So those have to be managed prior to arrival onto the job or interacting with the outdoor environment. Housekeeping and surface modification can be done on the job. So, if we start to look at my surface obstructions and general housekeeping practices as I see something on the job, I can change it. I can pick it up, I can move it, I can modify the surface when I get to the job. You can't do those things beforehand, although you can have a policy or procedure that help that can help guide your staff through that. So, having something in place that tells your staff that they're responsible, they should do some of these things themselves to help modify the surface or pick things up is important. Peter Koch: But again, if you don't have sand and salt on the truck or a shovel present or a way to mark the best path, then all your efforts are going to be. Go, go to waste. You're not going to be able to manage it. So even then, there has to be some pre preparation. You've got to understand what you need to have on the job in order for those tools to be used. Now, we didn't really talk about this whole lot, but surface assessment. Right. Looking at the environmental impact, how do we know what we're coming into? So, you can do that, obviously. When you get to the job? However, you can do some of that prior to arrival, depending on the technology that's available, like there's so much technology out there now, we can leverage some of that to give our staff some opportunities. So, the most simple thing is check the weather. I can go to weather app on my phone. I can check it out on the television. I can listen to it on the radio and I can get a decent idea, not always accurate, but a decent idea of what the temperature would be and the potential for precipitation in the area where I'm going to go work. That is a great tool. However, it doesn't give you something specific for the work area that that the actual geographic location that you're going to be in. Peter Koch: But there are some places that have a live webcam that you can sometimes check to see the actual current conditions of what you're coming into or they've had some companies do an alert message that can get sent to workers via text or email informing them about the conditions. So, someone would whether it be security or someone who is in that off shift, they've identified that there is a change or an alert that needs to go out. And this then gets sent out to all of the staff who are coming in or maybe even the ones who are leaving so that they understand what's happening if they've been working inside and now have to go outside. So that's another solution. There's actually companies out there that have an alert system process, an emergency alert system that can be leveraged for some of these environmental challenges, too. So, again, the key is to find a solution that works for your team and the technology that you have available. It's not a one size fits all. So, working through these steps can help us to be prepared if we lose situational awareness, like if I'm not paying attention. But I've got good footwear on, it's going to help keep me upright. If I lose my situational awareness. But I've done some surface preparation. I've moved all the surface obstructions out of the way. I've picked up my mess. Peter Koch: Then there's less of a chance for me to fall. If I have if I've brought with me lighting, if I have a headlamp or a flashlight or remember to keep the headlights on, if I if something happens to pull my attention away from where my feet are going, I at least have the ability to see better or what's around me. But again, if I don't have it, I can't use it. So, it's really important that we can help maintain situational awareness. But doing some of these things can help us when our situational awareness lags. So, let's just briefly recap here. We've got those five focus areas for outdoor slip and fall prevention. So that first is compatibility. Is your footwear compatible with the anticipated surface and the surface conditions two lighting? What's the lighting going to be like? What can be done to enhance your ability to see at the worksite? Do you need to bring something with you? Are there outdoor lights that are out that need to be repaired? Who gets that information? How can we enhance the lighting at the workplace? Third, housekeeping and surface obstructions. What's your policy? What's your spill cleanup policy? How do we keep our pathways clean and clear? Is that a practice that you have? Or do we just pick up at the end of the day and throughout the day, the area just gets more cluttered and more cluttered and more cluttered. Peter Koch: Fourth, traction enhancers. What type do you need? One type might not work in every situation. You might need to have a couple of them depending on the type of work that gets done. And then training for your staff to understand really how this is supposed to work. And then last. The environmental impact. How is the weather impacting the surface? And what can you do about it? How do we know about it ahead of time? And then what can we do when we actually encounter it? So being prepared can help us limit the effect of the loss of situational awareness. If we're prepared and are maintaining the surface and wearing compatible footwear, we can see the surface well, if we have the right traction enhancers on, then if we're distracted from the task at hand, there's a good chance we can still stay upright. So that about wraps up this week. Safety Experts podcast. Thanks to everyone who listened today. And if you're looking for additional resources, check out the MEMIC safety director at MEMIC.com for a whole bunch of resources on slip and fall prevention, both indoor and outdoor. And also, if you have any questions or would like to hear more about our particular topic on our podcast. Email us at [email protected]. Peter Koch: Also check out the show notes at MEMIC.com/podcast where you can find links to resources for a deeper dive into outdoor slip and fall prevention. And while you're there at the page, you can check out our podcast archive to listen to some past shows like Winter Driving with Randy Klatt or Indoor Slip and Fall Prevention with Maureen Anderson. And when you're there, sign up for the Safety Net blog so you never miss any of our articles and safety news updates. And if you haven't done so already, I'd really appreciate it if you take it a minute or two to review us on Stitcher, i-Tunes or whichever podcast service that you find us on. And if you've already done that, thanks, because it really helps us spread the word. Please consider sharing the show with a business associate friend or family member who you think will get something out of it. And as always, thank you for the continued support. And until next time, this is Peter Kotch reminding you that listening to the MEMIC Safety Experts podcast is good, but using what you learned is even better. Resources, Ideas and People Mentioned in Podcast Mount Everest - https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest Traction enhancer examples: Mid-sole – https://www.thecuresafety.com/K1_Mid_Sole_Ice_Traction_Cleats_Pair_p/k1mid.htm Pull on – https://www.thecuresafety.com/Servus_Non_Slip_Second_Sole_Pair_p/n38sr101.htm Overshoe – https://stabil.implus.com/products/job-safety/stabil-overshoes Walking Working Surface Assessment Checklist – https://www.memicsafety.com/digital_library/ Winter Driving Safety with Randy Klatt Podcast - https://www.memic.com/workplace-safety/safety-experts-podcast#winter_driving_safety_klatt Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention with Maureen Anderson Podcast - https://www.memic.com/workplace-safety/safety-experts-podcast#slip_trip_fall_prevention