Same-level falls

Why does a seemingly minor risk matter?

Workplace accident statistics from the Ministry of Labor consistently rank falls on the same level among the most frequent types of workplace accidents, along with overexertion and collisions with objects. The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has dedicated specific campaigns to slips and trips due to their significant impact on workplace accidents in Europe. This is a widespread risk: it affects offices, shops, kitchens, hospitals, warehouses, construction sites, and industrial plants, and its incidence increases with the age of the workforce and with certain health conditions.

The severity is considerable: wrist, hip, and ankle fractures, head trauma, and back injuries are common consequences, resulting in prolonged absences and, in older workers, permanent disabilities. Furthermore, falls while carrying loads, using tools, or working near machinery can trigger more serious secondary accidents. Prevention focuses on the environment (floors, lighting, tidiness), the organization (procedures, work rhythms, cleanliness), and the individual (footwear, training, and attention).

INSST’s NTP 434 on safe working surfaces systematizes risk factors and measures, and Royal Decree 486/1997 establishes that the floors of workplaces must be fixed, stable and non-slip, without irregularities or dangerous slopes, that traffic routes must be easy and safe to use, and that workplaces must be kept clean and tidy, with prompt removal of waste, stains and residues.

Main risk factors

• Slippery floors. Smooth, wet pavements with grease, oil, ice, dust or spilled products; contrast between dry and wet areas; absence of anti-slip treatment in critical areas.
• Minor irregularities and uneven surfaces. Broken tiles, grates, manhole covers, lifted carpets, thresholds, isolated steps, and poorly marked changes in pavement.
• Obstacles. Cables, hoses, boxes, pallets, materials in aisles and passageways, open drawers and poorly placed furniture.
• Lighting. Insufficient levels, glare, shadows, and abrupt transitions between light and dark areas.
• Footwear. Inadequate soles for the pavement and contaminants, worn or unclosed footwear.
• Organization and conduct. Haste, transport of bulky loads that obstruct the view of the ground, use of the telephone while walking, cleaning during business hours without signage, and lack of procedures for dealing with spills.
• Personal factors. Age, vision or mobility problems, fatigue and effects of medication, to be taken into account when adapting the workstation.

Preventive measures

• Design and flooring. Selection of flooring with adequate slip resistance for use, anti-slip treatments in wet areas, elimination of unnecessary unevenness and proper drainage in water areas.
• Order and cleanliness. Cleaning program with appropriate methods and products, immediate action in case of spills, wet floor signage and defined storage areas away from passageways.
• Traffic routes. Sufficient width, delimitation, absence of obstacles, channeling of cables and hoses, and protection or signage of level changes and changes in pavement.
• Lighting. Levels in accordance with Annex IV of Royal Decree 486/1997, without glare or shadows, with emergency lighting on evacuation routes.
• Footwear. Selection according to the risk assessment, with non-slip sole suitable to the pavement and contaminants, and replacement when worn.
• Organization. Work procedures that avoid rushing and loads that obstruct vision, mechanical aids for transport, and planning of cleanings during periods of low activity.
• Information and participation. Brief and practical training, communication of risk situations by staff and periodic review of areas with repeated incidents.

Organizational application: how to reduce falls at the same level

1. Analyze accident and incident reports to identify the areas, tasks, and times when slips and trips occur.
2. Evaluate work surfaces and traffic routes: slipperiness, irregularities, obstacles, lighting and signage, with periodic walks.
3. Correct critical pavements and uneven surfaces and route cables and hoses away from walkways.
4. Implement the cleaning and spill response procedure, with temporary signage and absorption kits in risk areas.
5. Select the appropriate footwear for each job and surface, and check its condition.
6. Review the organization: rhythms, manual transport of loads, use of mechanical aids and cleaning planning.
7. Train and involve staff in risk communication and record incidents without harm as an early indicator.

Preventive management software allows you to record incidents and observations by area, plan surface inspections and cleaning, manage the delivery and renewal of footwear, and track the evolution of falls as an indicator.

Limits and common mistakes

1. Consider falls on the same level a minor risk and do not include them in the assessment or planning.
2. Clean during business hours without marking or delimiting the wet floor.
3. Tolerate cables, hoses and materials in corridors and passageways.
4. Choosing footwear based on comfort or price without considering the pavement and pollutants.
5. Maintain insufficient or dazzling lighting in transit areas and stairwells.
6. Do not analyze incidents without damage, which anticipate where accidents will occur.

The conditions of workplaces are detailed in Royal Decree 486/1997 and in its INSST technical guide; this sheet is for informational purposes.

Regulatory and reference framework

• Royal Decree 486/1997, of April 14. Minimum safety and health provisions in the workplace: floors, traffic routes, lighting, order and cleanliness.
• Royal Decree 485/1997, of April 14. Safety and health signage at work, including signs of obstacles and dangerous places.
• Royal Decree 773/1997, of May 30. Use of personal protective equipment, including safety footwear.
• NTP 434: Safe working surfaces (I) (INSST) . Risk factors and measures against falls, slips and trips.
• Statistics on workplace accidents (Ministry of Labor and Social Economy) . Official accident data by form of contact.

The INSST publishes the Technical Guide for the assessment and prevention of risks related to the use of workplaces, which develops Royal Decree 486/1997; the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work offers materials on slips and trips.