ACROSS Our PRESS DESK......

Sam Cahan, PE

Senior Employee Safety

The San Diego Union-Tribune (5/28/05) recently described the problem of trips and falls affecting the elderly. The article noted that 19 seniors a day in San Diego County sustain fall injuries requiring paramedic response.

The problem involving falls also impacts the many seniors still at work. Aside from numerous on-the-job injuries, the National Safety Council in 1989 recorded 9,350 deaths resulting from falls among elderly workers.

Many factors can contribute to these workplace accidents. They range from diminished vision, changes in one's walking gait, a consistent lack of attention, the failure to recognize and quickly react to trip and fall hazards.

To ease the problem of falls, perhaps seniors should discard the ancient "walking" adage "to keep your shoulders back, chin up, and look straight ahead." It should be replaced with, "Always be alert....and always watch your step."

However, the bottom line for employers regarding senior safety is to minimize environmental deficiencies, such as poor lighting, uneven walking surfaces, inadequate hand rails or providing highlight-markers for stair steps.

These typical precautions not only reduce senior-employee accidents but should help reduce the injury rate for slips and falls for all employees.