It is believed that the cost to employers from accidents associated with slips trips and falls is over £300 million a year

It is therefore important that you do not dismiss these accidents as mere clumsiness on the part of the individual who has had the accident.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states that employers must carry out a - risk assessment to:

assess the risks, and

identify control measures to ensure the health and safety of employees and members of the public

This means that as an employer you must identify all the significant risks in the workplace. By doing that you can make sure that measures are in place so that slips, trips and falls do not occur.

The main areas of concern are:

If floors are uneven or in poor repair they could cause someone to trip and fall. It is important that you make regular checks to ensure that they are kept in a safe condition.

Wet floors and use of the WET FLOOR SIGN

Almost all slips happen when floors are wet or dirty (for example contaminated with water, oil, food debris, dust etc).  If the floor has a smooth surface (for example the surfaces of standard vinyl, glazed ceramic tiles, varnished wood etc) even a tiny amount of contamination can represent a real slip problem.

If you have a wet spill PLEASE DO NOT mop the spill, leaving a wet floor and leave a wet floor sign out and think that you have done enough.  You haven't.   All you have done by doing this is left a wet floor that either staff or the public are still able to walk across, and therefore the potential for a slip is very real. 

In the event of a wet spill, either clean and DRY the area before allowing the public or staff to walk over the affected area, or corndon off the area until such time as the surface is dry and there is no longer a slip hazard.

Our inspectors will not expect to find that you routinely use the wet floor sign as your only control in the event of a wet spill.

Most floors have some form of floor covering. These can include carpets, tiles or vinyl. Consideration must be made when laying such coverings to ensure that they are suitable for that environment. For example;

The use of a very smooth floor covering within a kitchen which will have grease and water spillages regularly is unlikely to be suitable or;

The use of thin grade vinyl is unlikely to cope within a bakery which has large amount of trolley movements.

Mats and carpets must be secured to ensure that they do not move or lift and present a trip hazard.

Housekeeping

If there are large amounts of stock blocking traffic routes this may increase the risks of tripping or items falling and causing injury. Items such as trailing cables should be routed so that they do not present a trip hazard. These can be covered with cable protectors or preferably moved so removing the hazard.

Poor lighting may conceal hazards, which would normally be clearly visible. Identification or areas where the lighting may be less than adequate is essential. Particular attention should be paid to stairs, cupboards that people go into rarely, cellars etc.

Footwear

Make sure staff are supplied with the correct footwear. If the type of work requires special protective footwear employers must provide that footwear free of charge. In a study carried out by the Health and Safety Local Authority Unit on accidents between the period 31/12/98 and 31/12/99 it was found that women employees accounted for the majority of slip trip and fall injuries. This may because of the choice of shoes that ladies wear. It is therefore very important that staff are clearly made aware of the importance of appropriate shoes

Slips and trips Guidance for employers on identifying hazards and controlling risks (HSG155) 1996. ISBN 07176 1145 0

The following checklist may be useful when you examine your workplace:

Floor

Is it uneven?

Does the floor change level between rooms?

Are there loose floorboards?

Are there any holes in the floor

Does your floor feel slippery ? If so look at your surface and your cleaning regime - you may be using unsutiable products, or diluting chemicals wrongly so they are not working as they should.

Are mats and rugs likely to move when some one walks on them?

Is the floor covering lifting around the edges?

Is the floor covering worn? Is the floor covering suitable for the environment?

(Are there likely to be spillages from either wet or dry substances)

Lighting

Is lighting adequate.

Are there any areas where it would be difficult to see obstructions, spillages etc?

Housekeeping

Does the area get overcrowded with boxes or excessive stock?

Are passageways blocked or restricted?

Are there trailing cables across passageways

Footwear

Do staff have appropriate footwear? (Does it have sufficient grip, does it cope with conditions, i.e. wet floors or flour spillages etc)