Slips, trips and falls are responsible for almost a third of all non-fatal injuries to employees.
From spilled liquids to unstable surfaces, there are so many factors and circumstances that could contribute to an accident. While some incidents might be entirely unavoidable, there are certain preventative measures that every team should implement.
Whether you work in retail, manufacturing, or any other industry, it’s worth knowing how to prevent slips, trips and falls.
What could cause a slip or trip in the workplace?
Slips and trips can be random, but the cause can usually be traced back to an incident or foreign object getting in the way of an employee. Most trips are caused by obstructions, especially when they appear in walkways. Uneven, unsuitable, or damaged surface types also cause trips at work.
Slips can be caused by:
- People: Ignoring spillages, rushing around, wearing incorrect footwear
- Contamination: Rainwater, oil, fuel, dust on floors
- Cleaning: Wet floors, trailing cables, lack of incorrect signage
- Flooring: Slippery surfaces, obstructions, unsuitable materials
- Environmental factors: Cold weather, low lighting, distracting noise, condensation
Because there are so many potential situations or factors that might trigger a slip, trip or fall. Employers must take preventative measures seriously. This not only protects and wellbeing of their staff but ensures that no present or past employee chooses to make a public injury compensation claim against the business.
How can slips, trips and falls be prevented?
Every workplace should be proactive in reducing the risks of slips, trips and falls. In addition to undertaking regular risk assessments and hazard awareness training, a few key methods of ensuring sufficient prevention include:
- Non-slip flooring
It’s possible to find flooring that doesn’t get slippery when wet. On production lines, in busy kitchens or in retail environments, slip-resistant flooring is essential. It’s an instinctual choice in environments where spillages are most likely.
The Health and Safety Executive recommends the use of the pendulum test, a friction test which is integral to assessing the slip-resistance of flooring. Tests like this one make sure that employers can be better informed about the likelihood of slips. However, factors like regular wear and tear should also be considered.
- Appropriate footwear
If it is known that employees will frequently need to traverse slippery areas or outside areas in unknown conditions, it’s sensible to provide suitably gripping shoes. Before ordering staff equipment in bulk, it’s worth doing some research on GRIP rating and durability.
GRIP rating is determined on a one to five-star scale. In extremely challenging working environments, footwear with a Five Star rating might be necessary to appropriately mitigate slip risk.
- Maintenance and cleaning
Lastly, regular cleaning and maintenance ensures not only that surfaces maintain their integrity and condition but pose less of a trip or slip risk to employees. Clearing obstacles, repairing hazardous damage and leaving smooth floors greatly improves overall safety.
Outside, wooden or stone floors left in cold, dark or damp conditions could quickly grow algae or accumulate dirt. Both scenarios pose a serious trip hazard, so it’s important to get external floors pressure washed as often as necessary.
