Mind Your Step
Slips and trips account for about 37% of all major injuries in UK workplaces. 90% of these incidents result in sickness absence due to broken bones and fractures. However, slips and trips are also a major cause of other accidents such as falls from height, scalding, and incidents in which machinery is involved. An interesting statistic is that of all the accidents reported involving members of the public, 50% of those relate to slips and trips.
How Does This Affect You?
Slips and trips in the UK cost the economy around £800 million a year; they also cost employers around £500 million with additional cost to the NHS of around £115 million. Effective management of funds can reduce these costs, but the first line of action is for employers to take the issue more seriously.
The problem is that many employers focus their attention on those areas believed to be of greater risk, such as high risk work processes, and do not consider areas of perceived low risk such as a safe thoroughfare for workers. Solutions to these problems can be as simple as good housekeeping in walkways; in addition employers need to ensure that employees are reminded of their duties regularly and the importance of ensuring that trip hazards and risks of slips and trips are reported or dealt with, in order to control the level of slips and trips occurring.
Controlling the Risks
Some floor surfaces can be hazardous when wet or damp; if the floors are dry and a person’s shoes are wet this can also cause an accident. Mopping up a spillage is not always the best solution, as the wetness can be increased by the mopping process. Mats at an entrance may also cause similar problems, as people walking into a building with wet footwear can cause the mat to become soaked and further people using this route will transfer this water (on their shoes) into the building, creating slippery surfaces elsewhere.
Employers need to ensure their cleaning policies are adequate to reduce these risks and, if practical, look at introducing non-slip flooring. The risks should be assessed and controlled using the following steps:
| • | develop a policy; |
| • | organise staff structure to implement the policy; |
| • | develop implementation plans and set standards and targets; |
| • | measure performance against these targets and standards; |
| • | review progress and take any remedial action to ensure targets are met; and |
| • | audit the programme and take action to correct any inadequacies. |
Looking at the workplace and work activities undertaken can help to identify the hazards and the means by which to control them.
Trailing cables – can cause hazards, especially in offices where the number of appliances used can be vast, and at certain times of the year the introduction of fans or heaters causes this hazard to be significantly increased.
It should be ensured that there are adequate power outlets and suitable cable tidies (where appropriate) to meet the demands of the workplace. Alternatively restrictions should be applied to limit the quantity of electrical equipment that is allowed to be used within the premises. Try to encourage where practical the use of cordless equipment (i.e. in the construction industry etc).
Changes in level – It is important to ensure that any changes in level are clearly identifiable to reduce the risk of trips and where possible eliminate these changes to remove the hazard.
Lighting – Sometimes a forgotten measure, it is important to ensure that lighting is adequate to ensure good visibility; this should apply throughout the premises.
Inadequate flooring – Ensure the flooring is adequate and suitable for the purpose such as slip-resistant flooring in entrance areas likely to become wet; adequate mats may help reduce this risk, but the risk may still remain as mentioned in paragraph 1. Ensure the floors are of suitable condition and that any inadequacies are remedied at the soonest opportunity.
Spills and Build-ups – Try to reduce the risks of spillages and build-ups and implement adequate spillage policies to ensure that any spills or build-ups are cleared as soon as possible. Ensure that there are no build-ups of dust and install adequate dust extraction where applicable, as dust is often an overlooked cause of slips and trips in a workplace.
Walkways – Ensure that walkways are clear of any trip or slip hazards, which can be either objects or substances.
Stairs – Ensure the stairs are in good condition and encourage the correct use of the stairs (i.e. using handrails and no rushing, etc).
Footwear – Where a risk cannot be controlled completely, supply slip resistant footwear. Also you will need to ensure that footwear is suitable, so high heels and sandals should not be permitted as they would not be considered safe, sensible footwear.
Housekeeping – Simple general housekeeping and ‘clean as you go’ policies will, if implemented correctly, greatly reduce the risks of slips and trips within the workplace.
Peninsula comment
Slips and trips can easily be avoided with some simple and inexpensive control measures and a bit of common sense.
It is vital that management control the issues of reducing or eliminating the risk posed by slips and trips and it is also their duty to communicate the ways in which they intend to do this to employees and others who may be affected. It should be remembered that by adequately assessing the working environment and adopting good housekeeping policies the aim of reducing the occurrence of slips and trips can be achieved.