624 Healthcare: Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention

Outdoor Walking Surface Irregularities

Poorly maintained, uneven ground, protruding structures, holes, rocks, leaves, and other debris can cause employees to stumble, trip, slip, or fall.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 is a performance-based standard that states walking-working surfaces (including floors, sidewalks/paths used by employees) must be kept clean, orderly, sanitary, and free of hazards (e.g., sharp/protruding objects, loose boards, spills, snow/ice, or uneven conditions that could cause slips/trips/falls).

It requires regular inspections, prompt correction/repair of hazards, or guarding (e.g., barricades) if repair isn't immediate. No specific numerical thresholds (e.g., no exact inch measurement for cracks or elevation changes). Hazards are evaluated case-by-case based on risk.

Prevention Strategies

Although OSHA does not state an exact measurement, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accessibility Standards ANSI/ASSP A1264.1 / A1264.2 consider changes in level up to 1/4 inch are allowed vertically without treatment. Between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch, the edge must be beveled (sloped no steeper than 1:2). Over 1/2 inch, it requires a ramp.

Many sources (including safety checklists, concrete repair companies, and municipal guidelines) treat vertical changes of 1/4 inch or more as a trip hazard requiring prompt repair to avoid liability and comply with general safety expectations.

For horizontal crack width (gaps without height difference), 1/2 inch is often the limit for openings/gaps under ADA (to prevent wheelchair casters from catching), but vertical displacement is the bigger concern for trips.

• Concrete wheel stops in parking lots can be a tripping hazard and should not be used.
• Remove stones and debris from walking surfaces.
• Ensure that underground watering system structures are covered or highlighted.

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