Limiting Trip and Fall Hazards from Electric Vehicles

With the use of electric cars on the rise, fresh opportunities for injuries or other risks follow. If the ability to charge electric vehicles will be available at your facility, use this tip to help reduce risks.

One particular risk identified recently was a trip and fall hazard created with a charging cable. Not all public places provide drivers with the ability to charge their electric vehicles, so to accommodate a staff member, this healthcare facility had a charging station installed.

Unfortunately, the location of the charging station required the driver to stretch the charging cable across a sidewalk typically utilized by staff to access the side entrance of the facility. The organization addressed this risk, and the charging cable no longer intercepts a walking path.

If the ability to charge electric vehicles will be available at your facility, it is extremely important to identify an area that will accommodate charging but not present any trip and fall hazards.

Need More Resources?

Please view our toolkit Regulatory & Healthcare Resources to access best practices that will reduce your risks.

About the Author

Stacie Jenkins, RN, MSN, CPSO
Vice President of Patient Safety and Risk, LHA Trust Funds

Stacie Jenkins is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in nursing informatics. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, working in patient care and quality/performance improvement positions. As the Vice President of Patient Safety & Risk at LHA Trust Funds, she works closely with hospital administrators, risk managers, and nursing staff to improve patient safety and establish best practices. She conducts on-site assessments and gives presentations designed to help clients address their patient safety risk management challenges.