Slips and falls in stores and malls: Implications for community-based injury prevention

An empirical analysis of the behavioral ecology of slip, trip, and fall accidents in grocery stores and shopping ma11s is presented. The store data set comprised 36 consecutive months of data collectcd from a chain of groccry storcs in thc Midwcstcrn USA and thc mall data set included 24 consecutive months of data collected from 22 malls across the continental USA, with a concentration in the southern region. Analyses showed that the majority of the slip, trip and fall accidents occurred on the inside of the estahlishments, on the same level, and resulted from a water or liquid spill or food item on the t1oor. Design deficiencies accounted for the Jeast amount of occurrences and cost of the accidents, while housekeeping and inspection deficiencies accounted for thc bulk of thc accidents. Data-based recommendations for slip, trip and fall injury-prevention strategies in these public places, focusing on management action, arc offered.