«You’re more likely to fall and die than win the lottery»

I’m off to Bern. The place where more thought and research goes into preventing falls than anywhere else in Switzerland. I’m visiting the BFU, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention. There, I’ve arranged an interview with Ursula Meier Köhler, an expert in fall prevention. In this article’s header image, she’s posing on the sofa alongside a teddy bear from the organisation’s current campaign.

Ursula, am I more likely to win big on the lottery or die by falling over?
Ursula: Bad news, it’s the fall that’s more likely. But I’ve got good news for you too.

Oh yeah?
You have no influence over your probability of winning the lottery. However, you can prevent a fall – or at least significantly minimise the risk of one – by taking some very simple steps.

The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU): fighting accidents since 1938

The BFU aspires to reduce the number of accidents by doing preventative work. Since 1938, it’s been contracted by the public sector to do scientific research on the causes of accidents. The work of the BFU, a private foundation, is mostly financed by a surcharge on the premium for non-occupational accident insurance. There are 1,200 «safety delegates» working on behalf of the BFU all over Switzerland. Meanwhile, the organisation itself has 130 employees. The BFU’s Board of Trustees includes representatives from private insurance companies, who naturally have an interest in claims being kept to a minimum.

What kind of steps?
It might sound simplistic, but tidying up actually really helps. Although our home is where we generally feel safest, we know from our research here at the BFU what the dangers are. And the fact is that many of these dangers can be kept in check by keeping things tidy. Someone might leave a backpack on the floor in the hallway, turning the straps into tripping hazards. In home offices, it’s charging cables that can cause people to trip up.

But is it necessarily a big deal if somebody falls over?
Thankfully not. People often get off lightly, and can even laugh about the minor mishap they’ve had. At the same time, it’s a little-known fact that falls are the most common cause of accidents outside of work in Switzerland – both at home and out and about. Every year, around 125,000 people sustain injuries from falls in a flat, house or garden alone. Some are also left with a disability as a result. What’s more, 1,700 people die every year from falls at home and during leisure time – and not just elderly people. Each year’s fatalities include 80 people aged between 17 and 64. So, these are the human costs. However, society also has the material cost of falls to contend with. To be exact, 3.2 billion francs per year.

So, where are we at the greatest risk of falling?
Even though most falls happen on flat ground, your risk of falling is highest on staircases. It’s dangerous if there’s something lying on a step, even if it’s just a teddy bear that needs to go back into your child’s room. It’s best to put stuff like that away immediately. Then, there are the people whose eyes are always glued to their phones, even when they’re walking upstairs. In Switzerland, we also have a problem with handrails – that is, not using them.

Why’s that?
Younger people don’t think they need them. Meanwhile, other people are afraid to touch them because of viruses and bacteria. There are numerous reasons. People often only start using the handrail when they’re no longer able to go up- and downstairs without one. Or when they’ve already fallen on a staircase and learned to do so as a result of the shock and pain.

It’d be better for everyone if there were no falls at all.
Exactly. If no one ever fell, we wouldn’t have to worry about the consequences. We’d all benefit from that because it’s the community who bears the cost of treatment or loss of working hours after a fall. That should be motivation enough for everybody to prevent falls from happening in the first place.

Is it difficult to strike a chord with people when you’re talking about prevention alone, and working on a voluntary basis?
Although the figures speak for themselves, although the consequences are painful, although it’d be so easy to prevent falls, it’s a difficult subject, yes. We often keep quiet about falls because we’re embarrassed. And even today, falls are often dismissed as a trivial issue. That’s why we use campaigns that really make people think.

It certainly worked on me. What are the three most important fall prevention tips you’d give me? Obviously, I don’t know you well enough to give you personalised advice yet. But speaking generally, I’d tell you to clear away obstacles lying around on the floor. Hang up jackets, rucksacks and bags, and put shoes in a cupboard. If you have rugs on parquet or tiled flooring, they should have a non-slip layer underneath. You can also make your staircase safer by sticking anti-slip tape on the steps.

Okay, noted. Any more tips?
Fall prevention definitely includes targeted strength and balance exercises. People who maintain their muscles and train their reflexes fall less often, and if they do, the consequences are generally less severe. You should ideally start doing that at age 30. For those aged 50 plus, it’s an absolute must.

Sometimes, the couch potato inside us is just too strong.
You’re right, that kind of change in habits is difficult to achieve. That’s why fall prevention has been an ongoing issue for us for many years – and will remain so.

The BFU has ambitious goals. There are currently 570,000 people injured in accidents outside of road traffic and sports every year, half of which happen at home. The BFU aims to stop these figures from rising. Although the population’s growing and the proportion of elderly people is increasing, there are basically no legal requirements to prevent falls. How’s that supposed to work?
There needs to be a joint effort from all of us. Everywhere you look, there are ways we can improve. We could start today by always using the handrail on stairs. Or landlords could consistently kit steps out with anti-slip tape. Shoe manufacturers could sell slippers that provide support at the heel, are non-slip and still look good. All these examples show that the issue of falls hasn’t been prioritised as highly as it should be. This considered, we need to start talking about it more.