Master Safety: Slips and Trips at Work

All employers are under a duty to comply with the health and safety legislation which involves ensuring that your place of work is free as far as possible from risk of injury.

In practical terms your employer must make sure that cables are properly tied and do not represent a tripping hazard.

It also means that when floors are mopped appropriate warning signs are prominently displayed as well keeping walkways clear of any obstructions which could cause people to slip at work. The above safety hazards could result in a slip at work claim.

Slips and trips at work can cause serious injuries and downtime. Here’s how to spot them and prevent them.

Key Points

• Slips, trips and falls account for over 30% of major injuries at work, often due to slippery floors, poor lighting and cluttered walkways.
• Risk assessments and good housekeeping are key to spotting and preventing slip and trip hazards.
• Employers have a duty of care to provide a safe work environment, which means risk assessments, good housekeeping and employee training on hazard recognition.
• Employees should also take responsibility for their own health and safety by being aware and reporting hazards.
• Employers can also use the Slips Assessment Tool (SAT) to assess the slip potential of pedestrian walkway surfaces. The SAT is a useful tool developed by the HSE to help employers identify where slips are likely to occur and what to do about it.

 

Slips and Trips at Work

Slips, trips and falls are the biggest causes of major injuries at work, in all sorts of environments and account for over 30% of all reported major injuries at work. Slips at work are a major cause of injury, for both employees and employers. These can occur from a variety of things, slippery floors, poor lighting and poor housekeeping. On average 20% of employees off work for more than 3 days after a slip, so they have a big impact on productivity and overall workplace safety.

Knowing what slips and trips are and where they come from helps you prevent them. Most slips occur when there is a loss of traction between the shoe and the walking surface, often because of wet or greasy floors.

In fact 95% of serious slips result in fractures, so they are serious. By putting in place safety measures after you’ve identified the common causes you can reduce the risk of these accidents and create a safer work environment for everyone.

Spotting Slip and Trip Hazards

Spotting slip and trip hazards prevents workplace accidents. Doing a risk assessment and talking to staff about potential hazards helps to identify areas of concern and develop a plan to address them. Common slip hazards are wet floors, unsuitable floor coverings and pedestrian walkway surfaces not being maintained. Trip hazards are trailing cables, cluttered walkways and poor lighting. It’s also important not to forget to address fall hazards to keep the work environment safe.

Everyone should be involved in the risk assessment and any hazards that are identified need to be reported. Poor lighting is a big contributor to slips and trips; and it’s so important that all areas of work are well lit.

It goes without saying that regular workplace checks and quick fixes can reduce the risk of accidents and make the work environment safer.

Slips and Trips

There are many causes of slips and trips, many of which can be prevented with a bit of attention and care. One of the most common causes of slips is contaminated floor surfaces, wet or greasy floors. These contaminants reduce the traction between the shoe and the floor, making a slip more likely. Uneven or damaged floor surfaces are also common causes of slip and trip accidents.

Poor housekeeping is another big contributor to slips and trips. Cluttered walkways, trailing cables and unsuitable flooring materials can all create hazards that lead to accidents. A clean work environment reduces these risks.

Workplace slips not only cause injuries but also cost employers dearly in terms of lost productivity and compensation.

By addressing these common causes of accidents the working environment can be made that much safer for everyone.

Types of Injuries from Slips and Trips

The injuries from slips and trips can be very varied, from minor bruises to serious fractures and head injuries. A big percentage of slips result in fractures, particularly to the arms and legs, with 95% of serious slip incidents resulting in broken bones. These injuries can have long term consequences and impact on an individual’s ability to work and daily living.

Head injuries from slips can be very serious, from minor concussions to severe brain trauma. Musculoskeletal injuries are also common, to the back, shoulders and knees and can result in chronic pain and reduced mobility.

Knowing the types of injuries from slips and trips shows how important it is to take preventative measures to reduce the risk and protect staff’s health and wellbeing.

Employer Responsibilities

Employers must provide a safe work environment and take steps to prevent slips and trips, including a hazard free workplace and the necessary safety procedures. While employers have responsibilities, staff also need to look after their own health by following the safety guidelines and being aware.

Several key regulations cover these responsibilities including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure as far as is practicable the health and safety of their staff at work. This includes providing a safe working environment and the necessary health and safety measures to protect staff from slip and trip hazards.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 employers must carry out regular risk assessments and implement controls to prevent workplace accidents. This includes good housekeeping procedures and safe cleaning practices to reduce slip and trip hazards.

Training staff to identify and report hazards is also crucial for workplace safety.

Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires workplaces to be free from hazards and flooring to be maintained to prevent trips. This includes ensuring floors are suitable, well maintained and free from trip hazards.

Preventing Slips and Trips

Preventing slips and trips requires a proactive approach including regular risk assessments, good housekeeping procedures and safe cleaning practices. Implementing these will reduce the risk of accidents and create a safer work environment. Knowing the common causes of workplace slips and taking targeted preventative measures will reduce these incidents.

Carry out Regular Risk Assessments

Carrying out regular risk assessments is key to identifying slip and trip hazards in the workplace. These assessments help to assess risks before they become incidents, so a proactive approach to workplace safety.

Safe Cleaning Practices

Safe cleaning practices are important to prevent slips and trips as cleaning introduces risks, especially with damp surfaces and equipment that can create trip hazards. Proper training, supervision and communication with staff is key to ensure cleaning procedures are understood and followed.

If you have suffered a slip or trip accident at work why don’t you get in touch with us now for expert assistance. For a free, no obligation discussion about Your Slip and Trips at Work Claim, simply either call us now on 0800 652 0586, email us on [email protected], or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will explain all of the options available to you.

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A Safe Work Environment

Creating a safe work environment is key to preventing slips, trips and falls in the workplace. Employers have a legal duty to ensure the health and safety of their staff and this includes preventing slips, trips and falls. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of injury at work, accounting for around 40% of all reported major injuries.

• To create a safe work environment employers should start by assessing the risks in the workplace. This means identifying potential slip, trip and fall hazards such as wet or uneven surfaces, obstacles or clutter on the floor, poor lighting and cables or wires on the floor. Employers should also consider the likelihood of a slip, trip or fall occurring, the potential severity of the injury and the effectiveness of existing controls.
• Once hazards have been identified employers should control them. This may mean providing suitable footwear, such as slip resistant footwear, to staff who are at risk of slipping or tripping. Employers should also ensure floors are clean and dry and any obstacles or clutter is removed. Regular risk assessments should be carried out to ensure the workplace remains safe and new hazards are identified and controlled.
• In addition to preventing slips, trips and falls employers should also ensure staff are aware of the risks and know how to prevent them. This may mean training on slips, trips and falls and ensuring staff understand the importance of reporting any hazards.
• Employers can also use the Slips Assessment Tool (SAT) to assess the slip potential of pedestrian walkway surfaces. The SAT is a useful tool developed by the HSE to help employers identify where slips are likely to occur and what to do about it.

 

By doing this employers can create a safe work environment and reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls in the workplace. This will prevent injuries and illnesses and reduce the financial cost of slips, trips and falls.

Creating a safe work environment is key to preventing slips, trips and falls in the workplace. Employers have a legal duty to ensure the health and safety of their staff and this includes preventing slips, trips and falls. By assessing risks, controlling hazards, providing suitable footwear and ensuring staff are aware of the risks employers can create a safe work environment and reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls.

 

PPE

Personal protective equipment, especially suitable footwear, is key to preventing slips in the workplace. Slip resistant footwear reduces the likelihood of slipping on wet or uneven surfaces, overall.

Staff should take responsibility for their own health by wearing the correct PPE and reporting any issues with their equipment.

Slip Resistant Footwear

Slip resistant footwear reduces slip related injuries in the workplace. These shoes give better traction on different surfaces, reduces the likelihood of slipping and falling.

Footwear for Different Environments

Choosing footwear for different work environments is key to safety. Assessing the workplace environment, surface type and potential hazards helps make informed decisions about footwear.

Training and Awareness

Training and awareness among staff about slip and trip hazards keeps the workplace safe. Full training programmes and proper hazard reporting procedures will reduce the risk of accidents. Staff should take responsibility for their own health by attending training and applying what they have learned to their daily tasks.

Staff Training Programmes

Full training courses will reduce the risk of slips and trips by educating staff on risk factors and controls. These programmes will cover hazard identification and controls.

Hazard Reporting Procedures

Encourage staff to report hazards promptly and the workplace will be safe. Full training programmes will educate staff on the safety procedures and the importance of reporting hazards.

Preparing for Adverse Weather

Adverse weather, such as autumn and winter, increases the risk of slips and trips. Wet leaves, ice and fewer daylight hours means slippery surfaces and reduced visibility so employers must take proactive measures to mitigate these hazards. Outdoor areas should be monitored and maintained regularly to prevent slip incidents as this is where falls occur. For example, gritting surfaces with rock salt before freezing conditions will prevent ice from forming and make the area safer.

Adverse weather increases the risk of workplace slips so it’s necessary for employers to take appropriate action.

Consistent application of controls such as removing wet and decaying leaves and ensuring adequate lighting in work areas will reduce the risk of slips and trips in adverse weather. Addressing these seasonal hazards will allow employers to create a safer workplace for their staff whatever the weather.

Case Studies and Examples

Real life examples can give you insight into how to prevent slips and trips. For example a local council reduced slip accidents in their catering services by increasing staff training and improving housekeeping. A well known biscuit manufacturer reduced slip and trip incidents by re-assessing their floor surfaces and introducing slip resistant options.

Case studies show the importance of proper investigation and response to slip incidents. A supermarket found that poor housekeeping was the cause of a staff member’s slip so they increased their cleaning protocols.

These examples show the benefits of proactive measures and continuous improvement in workplace safety. These case studies show the frequency of workplace slips and the need for proactive measures to prevent them.

Conclusion

In summary preventing slips and trips in the workplace is a holistic approach that involves understanding the common hazards, regular risk assessments, good housekeeping practices and safe cleaning procedures. Personal protective equipment such as slip resistant footwear plays a big part in safety and tools like the Slips Assessment Tool (SAT) will give insights into slip risk.

By training and being aware and preparing for adverse weather employers can reduce the risk of slip and trip incidents. Understanding the common causes of workplace slips and applying targeted controls will reduce these incidents. A safer workplace will not only protect employees from injury but also increase productivity and reduce costs. Let’s be safe and make the workplace safe for everyone.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a workplace slip or trip incident, contact Carter & Carter Solicitors today for expert advice and support. Our team specialises in slip at work claims and is committed to helping you secure the compensation you deserve.

Reach out to us now and let us guide you through the process. For a free, no obligation discussion about Your Slip and Trips at Work Claim, simply either call us now on 0800 652 0586, email us on [email protected], or complete a Free Online Enquiry and we will explain all of the options available to you.

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FAQs

What is the most common cause of slips, trips and falls in the workplace?

The most common cause of slips, trips and falls in the workplace is poor or damaged floor surfaces and contaminated surfaces due to liquids or grease. Keep the housekeeping up to prevent tripping hazards.

What to do if someone slips and falls at work?

If someone slips and falls at work they should first attend to their injuries and report the incident to the relevant person. Also document the incident thoroughly including entering it in the workplace accident book and taking photos of the scene.

How do employers prevent slips and trips?

Employers can prevent slips and trips by doing regular risk assessments and good housekeeping and safe cleaning and slip resistant footwear. Do these and you will be safe.

Is my job at risk if I slip at work and claim compensation?

The short answer to this question is no.

It’s natural to think about just how your injury and your slip at work claim is going to affect your job. Many workers are in two minds about making  a slip at work claim because they worry about how it will affect their job or their standing with their employer

Employers in the UK are not allowed to dismiss workers simply because they claim trip at work compensation. If your work injury has resulted in a permanent disability, you may need to have a conversation with your employer about the duties you can undertake at work. Unfair dismissal laws make provision for disabled workers. Slip at work compensation awarded in court may cover any loss of employment if your injury permanently prevents you from doing your job.

Can my employer cope if I make a trip or slip work claim?

Employers must be insured for workers compensation by law. This means your employer will be able to slips and trips at work claims on their insurance when you make your slip at work claim, without it affecting the business.

Is it really worth me making a slip at work claim?

Not every work injury requires serious medical help. Only you and your doctor can assess how serious the injury is, but many injuries are worthy of compensation.

Work accidents are often a sign of something seriously wrong in the workplace. It’s a good idea to report any accident, no matter how small, to your manager.

If you are injured, it’s important to seek medical help. An injury that does not seem serious at first could prove serious in the long term. An accident and medical report will make it easier to make a claim further down the track.

When should I claim for slips and trips at work?

It’s best to file your claim as soon as you realise that you have a case. There are time limits on when you can make a work compensation claim, and these limits are tied to the amount of time it takes for a worker to reasonably have knowledge of their case.

Begin documenting your injury right from the start by reporting your accident to your manager and visiting the doctor. Even if you don’t end up making a claim, your employer should be aware that there was an accident in the workplace.

When is it too late to claim for slip at work?

The law sets out a three-year time limit for trip or slip at work compensation claims. If you’re making work and personal injury claims in Manchester, it’s important to contact a solicitor as soon as you’re aware you wish to file a claim. If you are claiming outside the time limit, it’s also a good idea to get legal advice – there may be circumstances in which your claim could still be heard.

Should I get a solicitor?

It is always a good idea to seek professional advice in legal matters, and if you’re researching work accident claims in Manchester you can talk to us at Carter and Carter. Whether choosing a general or personal injury solicitor in Manchester.