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Medical staff in blue hospital gowns, two men and two women, walking up a staircase.

Prevention of fall accidents among healthcare staff

Falls have accounted for a large proportion of occupational accidents among healthcare staff but have not been considered a priority issue, according to previous studies. In this project, IVL has studied how falls are identified and recognised, the risks and factors that influence them, and the important measures and actions for preventing falls among healthcare staff.

The aim was to develop support that enables actors within the healthcare organization to work systematically on fall prevention. The project also aimed to develop and test a methodology, based on tools and working methods, to reduce known factors that lead to fall accidents among healthcare staff.

Interviews with various stakeholders in the healthcare sector – HR, property management, cleaning and janitorial staff – revealed that many different measures can help prevent falls.

  • In cleaning and maintenance, two main points were identified: following cleaning procedures and reporting deviations and ensuring dry floors after cleaning.
  • For property management, keeping the external environment free of ice and snow and following accessibility requirements for the premises were identified.
  • The HR function emphasized the importance of effective systematic work environment management, and the value of maintaining a good work environment and keeping work environment management alive.

A manual for a behavioural based approach has been developed to be used in a workshop context. The target group is those who want to work at the workplace level to prevent fall risks and fall accidents. The manual is intended to be a practical tool and a complement to systematic work environment management by concretizing preventive work. The method is based on Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) and the field of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM).

Sju små tecknade bilder som visar figurer som faller av olika skäl.

A five-step guide

The manual provides a five-step guide for identifying risk situations for falls and methods for identifying both safe and at-risk behaviours in these situations.

  1. The first step of the manual is for the workplace to carry out various preparations for behavioural based work.
  2. In the second step, a workshop consisting of different steps, is organized.
    - The workshop starts by identifying fall risk situations and fall accidents using seven pictograms developed to illustrate the main conditions that according to previous research lead to fall accidents.
    - Participants then select the situations they want to work on in their workplace.
    - This is followed by a session on identifying safe and at-risk behaviours.
    - The next step involves measuring behaviours by self-assessing how common these behaviours are.
    - After this, a common goal is set for where the workplace wants to be in about 3-6 months regarding the selected behaviours.
    - Activities to achieve the target are planned.
  3. After the workshop, the workplace should work with different methods to reduce at-risk behaviours and maintain and increase safe behaviours related to falls.
  4. A follow-up measurement is carried out with an analysis of the measurement results.
  5. In the final step, the value of recognizing safe behaviours and celebrating progress in health and safety is highlighted.

The project has developed a behaviour-based methodology that can easily help healthcare units actively work on preventing falls. It emphasizes the need to identify and understand risk situations, the factors underlying falls and the role of reporting systems in prevention. The interviews with the various stakeholders in the project have revealed fairly tangible and concrete measures to be used in preventive work environment management.

Project facts

  • Project name: Prevention of fall accidents among healthcare staff. Development of methodology.
  • Financed by: Afa Försäkring
  • Budget: SEK 2 980 000
  • Period: 2020 - 2025

Contributes to the UN Global Goals

  • 8. Decent work and economic growth