You have a safety talk to give and no time to write it. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 844 fatal work injuries from falls, slips and trips in 2024, so it is a talk worth giving (BLS). Here is the script first, ready to read aloud in about 5 minutes, then the examples and a 10-question quiz to go with it. Everything follows US general industry rules (29 CFR Part 1910). Construction has its own standards, so check which one covers your site.
5-minútový scenár
Read it as written, then stop and ask the check question.
Háčik. "Nobody plans to fall at work, and a wet patch is all it takes."
The three causes. "A slip is when your feet lose grip: a spill, a wet patch, ice. A trip is when your foot catches on something: a cable, a box, a loose mat. A fall is what can follow, or a drop from a height such as a platform edge or an open hole."
Three actions. "One: clean up a spill or report it, and do not walk past it. Two: keep walkways clear, so cables, boxes and open drawers are not in the way. Three: use the right access. Use a stairway or a ladder, not a chair, a box or the edge of a platform."
Kontrolná otázka. "What is the one hazard on this site that you stepped round this week?"
Close. "Fix it or report it before the next person finds it."
Prečo sú pády dôležité
Americký úrad pre štatistiku práce zaznamenal v roku 2024 844 smrteľných pracovných úrazov z pádov, pošmyknutí a zakopnutí z celkového počtu 5 070 smrteľných pracovných úrazov (Národný sčítanie smrteľných pracovných úrazov BLS v roku 2024). That is a count of deaths, not of all injuries, but it shows what a fall can cost.
The employer carries the main duties. Under 29 1910.22 CFR, workplaces and walking-working surfaces must be kept clean, orderly and sanitary, and the floor of each workroom clean and, to the extent feasible, dry. A hazard must be corrected or repaired before anyone uses the surface again, or guarded if it cannot be fixed at once. Staff do their part by reporting what they see.
Examples, set 1: slips (5)
Each one is a common situation, not a real incident.
- A spill that nobody reports. Clean it up or report it, and keep people away until it is dry. Surfaces must be kept free of hazards such as spills (1910.22(a)(3)).
- Rain tracked in at the door. Mats at the entrance catch most of it. Where wet processes are used, dry standing places such as mats and platforms must be provided to the extent feasible (1910.22(a)(2)).
- A floor that is still wet after cleaning. Plan wet cleaning for times when few people are about and mark the area while it dries. The rule is a floor that is clean and, to the extent feasible, dry.
- A loose mat or worn flooring. Mats that curl at the corner are a trip as well as a slip. The standard names loose boards and corrosion among hazards to remove (1910.22(a)(3)).
- An icy entrance. Snow and ice are on the same list of hazards, so clear and treat them before shifts start.
Our pick: example 1. It is the cheapest to fix and the easiest to walk past, so it makes the best first conversation.
Examples, set 2: trips and falls (5)
- Cables across a walkway. Re-route them or cover them, so nobody has to step over a cable.
- Clutter and open drawers. Keep passageways and storerooms clean and orderly (1910.22(a)(1)). Close a drawer as soon as you have used it.
- An uneven or damaged surface. A hazardous condition is corrected or repaired before use, or guarded until it is (1910.22(d)(2)).
- Poor lighting on a route. Standard 1910.22 does not set a lighting rule, so treat this as good practice: if you cannot see the floor, report it.
- Working at height. In general industry, an employee on a surface with an unprotected side or edge 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level must be protected by a guardrail system, a safety net system or a personal fall protection system (1910.28(b)(1)(i)). A hole that is less than 4 feet above a lower level needs a cover or a guardrail (1910.28(b)(3)(ii)).
Our pick: example 10. The 4-foot line is the one number your team should know without looking it up.
Quiz: 10 questions with answers
Set 1: slips and housekeeping (5 questions)
Our pick. What condition must the employer keep the floor of each workroom in? Odpoveď: Čisté a podľa možnosti suché. 1910.22(a)(2)
Where wet processes are used, what must be provided to the extent feasible? Odpoveď: Drainage, and dry standing places such as false floors, platforms and mats. 1910.22(a)(2)
Name two hazards that walking-working surfaces must be kept free of. Odpoveď: Any two of: sharp or protruding objects, loose boards, corrosion, leaks, spills, snow and ice. 1910.22(a)(3)
A hazard on a walking surface cannot be repaired straight away. What must the employer do? Odpoveď: Guard it to prevent employees using the surface until it is corrected or repaired. 1910.22(d)(2)
Ako často sa musia kontrolovať chodníkové a pracovné plochy? Odpoveď: Pravidelne a podľa potreby. 1910.22(d)(1)
Set 2: trips and heights (5 questions)
At what height above a lower level does general industry fall protection apply to an unprotected side or edge? Odpoveď: 4 feet (1.2 m) or more. 1910.28(b)(1)(i)
Name one of the three types of protection that rule allows. Odpoveď: Guardrail systems, safety net systems or personal fall protection systems. 1910.28(b)(1)(i)
What protects an employee from tripping into a hole that is less than 4 feet above a lower level? Odpoveď: A cover or a guardrail system. 1910.28(b)(3)(ii)
Does 29 CFR 1910.28 apply to portable ladders? Odpoveď: No. Portable ladders are covered by 1910.23. 1910.28(a)(2)(i)
What protects an employee on a dockboard who could fall 4 feet or more? Odpoveď: A guardrail system or handrails, with a few listed exceptions. 1910.28(b)(4)(i)
Ways to host a slips, trips and falls talk with AhaSlides
A talk sticks better when the team answers as well as listens. Build each slide from this post.
- Vyberte odpoveď: put the 10 quiz questions on slides and turn on the leaderboard.
- Word Cloud: "What trip hazard did you pass this week?" The biggest word is your first fix.
- Hodnotiaca stupnica: "How clear are our walkways?" Rate 1 to 5, then ask the lowest scorers why.
- Otvorené, anonymné: "Name one hazard to fix today." People write what they would not say in front of the room.
- Otázky a odpovede: the supervisor answers questions on site rules.
Tipy a často kladené otázky
Give the talk at the start of a shift, while people are still near the work area. Reuse the 844 figure from the BLS release as your closing line, and remember it counts deaths. Take photos of real hazards on your own site and use them in your next talk. For more scripts see 5-minútové rozhovory o bezpečnosti, and for topics témy bezpečnosti na pracovisku pre rozhovory s nástrojmi. Heights are covered in tipy na bezpečnosť pri práci s rebríkom, and a longer test is the 50-question workplace safety quiz. To make practice more useful, read scenario-based practice with useful feedback.
How long should a slips, trips and falls safety talk be?
Around 5 to 10 minutes. The script above takes about 5 minutes to read, and the check question adds a few more.
What is the difference between a slip, a trip and a fall?
A slip is a loss of grip underfoot, a trip is catching a foot on something, and a fall is what can follow or a drop from height. The causes differ, so the fixes do too.
At what height does OSHA require fall protection in general industry?
Where an unprotected side or edge is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level, under 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1)(i). Construction work follows a different standard.
Who must keep floors clean and dry?
The employer, under 29 1910.22 CFR (a): workroom floors clean and, to the extent feasible, dry. Staff report the hazards they see.
Kde začať
Pick one example from each set, walk your own site this week and see which ones you find. Then give the script at your next shift start.
