Occurrence of occupational slips, trips and falls amongst health workers in Limpopo Province of South Africa

Abstract

Injuries related to slips, trips and falls are the second largest proportion of occupational injuries. Age, gender, and type of occupation, inter alia, are common risk factors to STFs. In South Africa, falls account to 10% of all deaths and the 20^th leading cause of mortality. The aim of this study was to describe the patterns STFs among health care workers from Limpopo Province of South Africa. Data submitted for occupational health compensation purposes were reviewed for the period from January 2007 to December 2009. Data on age, gender, type of injury, and profession amongst others were collected. Data were analysed using Stata 13 software. The mean age of victims was 48±10.2 years. The majority of STFs were reported in those aged >40 years (77%), females (76%), non-clinical staff (54%) and those working in district hospitals (54%). The most affected body parts were ankles, legs, arms and soft tissues. In conclusion, older female nurses at district hospitals were the most affected.  Interventions to reduce these STFs are required to create a safe and conducive work environment for all health care workers. The understanding of the important factors contributing to the occurrences of STFs should assist in the design of interventions aimed at curbing these incidents.