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Exercise No. A 1.4 Revision 3 Edition 06.09.2021.
Title Slips, Trips and Falls
Reference Safety on board. Code of Safe Work Practices. Duration 1 hours
Responsibility Form is used by trainee

OBJECTIVE OF EXERCISE:
 The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize yourself with the slips, trips and falls risks onboard,
as well as protective measures against them.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTION:

Slips, Trips and Falls (STF)

Just Facts

 Slips, trips and falls are the largest cause of personal accidents in maritime industry. More than
one in three deaths among seafarers result from a slip, trip, or fall.
 According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), at least 43% of
reported maritime injuries are a result of slip and fall accidents. This class of accident continues to
cost the maritime industry dearly - in time, money and unnecessary suffering.
 Prolonged discomfort and higher days off duty for STF injuries indicate that STF injuries are at
least as serious or more serious than non-STF injuries. The STF proportions increased
significantly by increased seriousness of the injury, and for at least 1 day unfit for work the STF
proportion is 48.8%.
 Crews who are well familiar with their surroundings throughout the ship continue to suffer
injuries from slips, trips and falls.
 Visitors to the ship unfamiliar with the layout of the vessel are especially vulnerable.
 Most dangerous places for STF injuries on board the ship are open decks, stairs and ladders.

Perception of Slips, Trips and Falls

 People may inherently consider slips, trips and falls to be funny - so long as it is clear that no-one
is hurt. This inherent perception could be a serious issue in getting people to take slips, trips and
falls seriously.
 It is necessary to remind people of the potential gravity of workplace slips, trips and falls as a
serious safety problem. In fact, slips, trips, and falls are a serious public health concern. They can
result in a variety of injuries, including fractures, sprains, strains, cuts, abrasions, and even death.
 Half of workers believe it is Company’s responsibility (not theirs) to prevent slips and trips. It is
important to make employees aware of their responsibility to take reasonable care of them self
and others, co-operate with the employer and report dangers.

© SIA ”NOVIKONTAS Jūras koledža” Form College

Rev.05.03.2014
Causes of Slips, Trips and Falls

STFs are very complex and involve a multitude of risk factors. First, there are ergonomicrelated risk
factors; that is, task characteristics have a direct influence on the person’s behavior in terms of movement
patterns and gait, as well as the forces exerted. Then, there are factors related to how a person interacts
with the walking surface. Some people may shuffle their feet, while others may lift their feet higher off
the ground or have a larger stride. Another factor is age. As people age, vision is reduced, reaction time
slows, and muscular strength diminishes. Consequently, the elderly tend to experience slips and falls
more frequently than the younger population. Psychology also plays a role in slips and falls. For example,
if a person perceives that a walking surface is slippery, that person will likely adjust his or her gait to
reduce the required friction. In addition, physical factors, such as friction between the shoe sole and floor,
floor contaminants, and the wear of the floor surface and shoe sole, can impact the risk of same-level
slips and falls. Lastly, inadequate housekeeping, floor defects, insufficient surface roughness, poor
lighting, inappropriate footwear, and transitions from one surface to another also play a critical role.

In general, the most common reasons for STF injuries include:

• Slippery, slick surfaces
• Loose lines and cargo
• Unmarked obstructions
• Lack of guardrails, barriers, or safety nets
• Equipment that was improperly secured
• Inadequate lighting
• Improper vessel planning, including high points lacking safety guards, loose ladders, and
improper angles and inclines for stairs and stairways
• Lack of non-skid paint and/or non-skid surfaces
• Failure to establish proper housekeeping procedures aboard the vessel
• Insufficient safety training

All causes/ factors can be devided in 3 major groups:

1/ Ship related factors (ship design)
2/ Environmental factors
3/ Human factors

What can be done to reduce STF injuries?

The majority of STF causes could have easily been prevented with the proper safety measures, better
training, and better equipment maintenance. The unfortunate fact, however, is that some employees tend
to cut corners in areas of safety in order to save time, which leads to injuries that should have never
happened.

Ship related and environmental factors

The environment, which is mostly a function of design, may well have been a contributor: if there was
inadequate lighting, if the dangers were not obvious, or the particular design of the ship required people
to put themselves in hazardous situations just to get the job done.

While the crew can little do to change ship design, environment can be made safe and maintained safe by
regular inspections, risk assessments and implementation of corrective actions.

Safety Officer’s regular inspection of all accessible parts of the ship, ship Master’s and Senior Officers’
weekly inspections are the main instruments of accessing STF risks and keeping safe environment.

© SIA ”NOVIKONTAS Jūras koledža” Form College

Rev.05.03.2014
Risk Assessment isn't just a paperwork exercise, something for the senior officers to worry about, but
something that every crew member should think about. It's not just about looking, but seeing - seeing a
problem, seeing a danger, and doing something about it - rather than dealing with the painful
consequences.

Human factors

 Human behaviour is by far the most important factor and the most challenging to get right. We
can have the highest quality procedures and risk assessments known to man but if they are
gathering dust on a shelf in the ship's office, and without a positive and inclusive attitude across
the whole Company, a reduction in the number of slips, trips and falls will never be achieved.

 Informal Risk Management (IRM) and Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) are the main safety tools
of the Company’s SMS to manage human factors and prevent STF incidents.

 The organization needs to be proactive at all levels. Some slips and falls without injury may go
unreported
 because the employee is embarrassed or doesn’t want to take the time to fill out an incident
report. The number of workplace slips and falls may actually be higher due to unreported
accidents. When an employee doesn’t report an incident, it may also set the stage for a future
injury. So, it’s not just management’s responsibility. A proactive approach to managing slips and
falls requires participation from all organizational levels.

 Training could have been deficient or even completely missing as there is often an assumption
that people „can look after themselves’ and must take responsibility for their own actions.

 The belief in any Safety Management System (SMS) must come from the highest positions
aboard the ship and crews must be able to experience that for themselves, by personal interaction,
not just from issuing instructions. A better understanding must be imparted through quality
training and regular refreshment of that training in a varied and non-monotonous way.

 The main task of the ship Senior Officers: leading by example and instilling belief and inclusion
instead of letting apathy and complacency prevail.

Informal Risk Management

Risk Assessment means thinking about "what could go wrong?" and dealing with it before it becomes
"what went wrong?"

Make risk assessments a part of your daily routine and not just something you do because you're told to.
• Take responsibility for safety.
• Think first. Take the time to actually see the dangers - get the job done safely, first time.
• STOP the job if you have to.
• Ask - question an instruction if it does not feel safe.
• Make the most of your rest periods - get good relaxation and sleep time.
• Assess safety of the PPE.

© SIA ”NOVIKONTAS Jūras koledža” Form College

Rev.05.03.2014
Behaviour Based Safety

Most slips, trips and falls are caused by a moment of carelessness, thoughtlessness or complacency as
people have moved around a ship, possibly doing their jobs, or even just because the ship is not only their
place of work but where they live.

„At risk behaviours” must not go unnoticed and must not be tolerated. Safe moving habits should be
explained and monitored, such as
• The possibility of a sudden or heavy roll of the ship should always be borne in mind.
• Maintain three points of contact, apply "one hand for yourself, one for the ship" principle
• Care should always be taken when using stairs and companionways; one hand should always be
kept free to grasp the handrail (always “one hand for ship”).
• It is dangerous to swing on or vault over stair rails, guard-rails or pipes.
• Avoid running or walking too fast, especially in higher risk areas.
• Suitable footwear should be worn at all times, including off duty periods.

Exercise description:

1. Bosun was on his way down from the bridge,

with the carton boxes in both his hands.
2. Earlier in the day the ER team was transferring
lub oil from boat deck to stern tube lub oil tank
from the drums using air driven pump. Some
amount of oil from air condensate had spilled
on deck during this transfer operation. This oil
was reportedly cleaned after the transfer
operation was complete.
3. While Bosun going down the stairs to the poop
deck, when he was on the last step, his foot
slipped and hit the hatch. He called for help on
the radio and he was shifted to his cabin, where
he was given first aid. He was later shifted to
the local hospital where it was found that he
suffered a Calcaneus fracture and declared
unfit.
4. Further investigations revealed that the deck
still had small amount of oil and was slippery.
The Bosun was wearing the required PPE at the
time of the incident.
5. It was also observed that the steps of the stairs
were made out of two metal bars.

Describe Probable causes of Accident, Immediate corrective Action on board and

Recommended Preventive Measures.

© SIA ”NOVIKONTAS Jūras koledža” Form College

Rev.05.03.2014
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA: Evaluation Scale
Reference skills and knowledge or question 1 2 3
1. Probable causes of Accident described
2. Immediate corrective Action described.
3. Recommended Preventive Measures described.
TOTAL:

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

Each subject to be performed accordingly

Performed correct: 3 points
Performed partly: 2 points
Major mistakes: 1 point
Not performed: 0 point

Maximum points of this exercise: 9 points

Requirement to achieve objective of exercise: 7 points

© SIA ”NOVIKONTAS Jūras koledža” Form College

Rev.05.03.2014