Slip & Fall Injuries

Falls account for more than 1 million injuries each year in the United States. They also account for about 15 percent of all work-related injuries. Each year hundreds of workers die and thousands become disabled from falls on the job. Falls are of two basic types: elevated falls and same-level falls. Same-level falls are most frequent, but elevated falls are more severe. Same-level falls are generally slips or trips. Injury results when the individual hits a walking or working surface or strikes some other object during the fall. Slips are primarily caused by a slippery surface and compounded by wearing the wrong footwear.