LSAW: Slips, Trips, & Falls

Locator Safety & Appreciation Week (LSAW) is a celebration of utility locators’ hard work and an acknowledgment of the hazards they face every day in the field. Locators play crucial and often underappreciated roles in protecting the public and our underground infrastructure. Take some time this week to thank a locator in your life! We’ll be sharing locator safety content throughout the week to spread awareness of the difficult work they perform. Learn more about LSAW and how to participate at locatorsafety.com.

Locator Safety Hazard: Slips, Trips, & Falls

It’s easy to dismiss trips, slips, and falls as absent-minded clumsiness, but they’re often symptomatic of a more serious problem. Fatigue, rushing, and frustration are the most common causes of tripping accidents. Locators face an additional degree of difficulty as the terrain they navigate is everchanging and often uneven.  Here are a few tips to avoid the core causes of on-site stripping accidents

• Get a good night’s rest. It may sound trivial, but sleep deprivation is a serious problem that can make even the simplest of tasks dangerous.
• Watch your step, even on familiar ground.
• Take your time. Locates can be time sensitive and workers want to work quickly, but a simple trip can cause serious injuries.
• Wear appropriate footwear for the conditions.