What To Do After A Serious Slip Or Fall

Serious slips or falls can be extremely deadly. As well as muscular and skeletal damage, they can lead to ongoing health problems, particularly in the elderly, for whom falling down is a major risk. Indeed, an Australian and New Zealand study found that 30% of people aged 65 years old and over will experience at least one fall per year. Regardless of whether you are working in construction, on floors which are sometimes slippery or are elderly yourself, it’s important to know what to do if you experience a serious slip or fall. We recommend the following 6 strategies to help deal with the incident. 

Don’t Panic 

After a serious slip or fall, your body goes into shock which can make it easier to panic. Panicking, however, can exacerbate the problem while your body is doing all it can to mitigate damage. Take time to compose yourself and calm your thoughts. Doing this will give your body more time to recover before you attempt to get up and resume your business. 

Identify Whether Or Not You’re Hurt 

Once you have calmed yourself down, take some time to identify any areas on your body which are in pain or feeling numb. Do this properly and don’t ignore any symptoms of pain, no matter how benign they may seem. The shock of falling can often numb the pain of injury. This makes it very important to ensure you have not suffered any serious damage during your slip or fall. If you cannot get up after checking for pain and numbness, it’s best to stay down and call for help. 

Get Up Safely If Possible 

If you feel okay and think you can get up safely, try to do so. Crawling towards the nearest piece of stable furniture and using this to prop yourself is recommended following a serious slip or fall. 

Call For Help 

If, however, you find yourself in too much pain or otherwise unable to move, call for help as soon as possible. Shout for help or bang the floors or wall to get attention. If you have a personal duress alarm, now is the time to use it. If you have your mobile phone with you, call your coworkers, friends, family or emergency services to come and assist you. 

See A Doctor 

When you are capable of doing so, be sure to see a general practitioner to check for serious injuries, particularly if you are taking medication or have ongoing medical treatment. Your doctor can then adjust your treatment or monitor your progress towards recovery, even if you didn’t suffer any serious injuries from your slip or fall. 

Buy A Personal Duress Alarm 

If you work or live alone and are more prone to falling, best practice is to buy a personal duress alarm which allows you to signal for help in the event you suffer from a serious slip or fall. A personal duress alarm can alert security teams to your distress following an incident and a dispatch can be sent to your location immediately after receiving the alarm. 

Personal Duress Alarms For Sale  

TWIG Australia is open for business Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Call our friendly sales team on (02) 9412 2100 to place an order for any of the products listed on our site or to ask any questions about creating a lone worker safety plan for your work or home environment. We look forward to receiving your call.