Worker suffers broken leg due to slippery surface

Crew members were involved in the manual handling and storage of a large bunker hose when a member of the work party slipped on spilt oily material, resulting in a broken leg.

The area where the worker slipped was an isolated spot that did not have any grating in place, and the area was contaminated with grease and water from previous activities.

When the emergency response team arrived to rescue the injured worker, it became apparent that the work area was only accessible via a spiral ladder which made it impossible to stretcher the worker to further medical assistance.

The only stretcher access was via the unbolting of a vertical hatch leading to the bottom carousel area, which would have been time consuming.

Fortunately on this occasion the injured worker was able to assist in moving themselves up the spiral ladder without the need for a stretcher.

Floor surface was contaminated with grease and water from previous activities.

Inconsistent presence of floor grating gave personnel a false perception of a non-slippery surface.

If the risk of a slippery floor surface is identified, anti-slip control measures should be in place for the whole area concerned (not just part of the slippery area).

When assessing emergency response capability, all work areas (including areas that people only rarely access, or temporarily access for just a short period of time) should be included in the assessment.

Emergency planning did not take into consideration assessment of stretcher access to work areas that have limited access/egress.

When assessing emergency response capability, areas where rescue would be difficult (e.g. work areas with limited access/egress) should be identified and appropriate controls put in place prior to an incident.

What housekeeping measures are in place at your worksite to prevent slips, trips and falls caused by slippery floor surfaces? Are the control measures that are in place effective? Are they consistently applied?

Do you work in areas with limited access/egress? Do emergency response plans at your workplace address all areas of the site / facility, including areas that are rarely accessed or difficult to access? Are the rescue plans in place for these types of scenarios fit for purpose?

Is the appropriate rescue equipment available and functioning correctly? When did you last do a drill to confirm capability to effectively respond?