Slips, Trips and Falls

By Wendy Claxton BSc (Hons), Dip2.OSH, CMIOSH

Perception plays an important part in health and safety. If you asked most employees and indeed employers what the single most common cause of major injury in the workplace is then there may be a variety of answers including fall from heights, use of machinery, fire, manual handling etc. Most people would be surprised to hear that slipping and tripping is the most common cause of major injury in the UK workplace.

According to the UK Health and Safety Executive over a third of all major reported injuries each year in the UK are caused as a result of a slip or trip. This costs employers over £512 million in lost production and other costs.

Often slips and trips are often seen as a source of amusement and are not always taken very seriously. There are a number of cases, however, that show how serious slips and trips can be:

1. Hospital worker Alison Hockaday slipped over twice and ended up losing her leg after a staggering thirty-two operations. Although she did receive £600,000 compensation she is now unable to work and cannot enjoy the active lifestyle she once had. The vinyl flooring responsible for her second slip has now been replaced with a non-slip surface.
2. A supermarket customer slipped over on a mushroom and is now wheelchair bound. This accident cost the supermarket £550,000.

So what exactly is a slip or a trip?

A slip happens when there is too little friction between footwear and the walking surface. A slip accident may occur as a result of a combination of some or all of the following factors:

• Type of flooring.
• Presence of contamination on the floor e.g. water, oil, dust, food debris.
• Type and condition of footwear worn.
• Environmental factors e.g. lighting.
• Capabilities of the individual who slips.

Most floors have a good slip resistance when they are clean and dry. However, once contamination is introduced then the slip resistance can be greatly affected.

A trip, on the other hand, may be caused by a combination of the following factors:

• Changes in the ground level or surface e.g. uneven walking surface.
• Presence of hazards e.g. trailing cables or cleaning bucket etc.
• Type of footwear worn.
• Environmental factors e.g. lighting.
• Capability of the individual who trips.

Falls are usually the result of a slip or a trip. In the same way accidents involving machinery, falls from height or scalding are often instigated by a slip or a trip.

What legislation covers slips and trips?

European directives are transposed into law in every Member State. Perhaps the most important directive for slips and trips is the Framework Directive (89/391/EEC) which resulted in Member States being required to undertake risk assessments and ensure that employers provided employees with a safe and healthy environment. Other directives, such as the Workplace Directive (89/654/EEC), cover the minimum health and safety requirements for the workplace e.g. floors, lighting etc.

How do we begin to tackle slips and trips in the workplace?

Like all other risks slips and trips should be examined as part of the risk assessment process. The risk should be assessed and, where necessary, suitable control measures must be put in place. The other important issue to consider is who is at risk. There are some key workers who may be especially at risk due to the nature of their work e.g. cleaners, catering and hospitality staff, food and drink manufacturers, food retailers, construction workers, building and plant maintenance workers etc.

The results of the risk assessment must be recorded and workers must be informed and trained with respect to the hazards and risks associated with their jobs and workplaces. As with all risk assessments monitoring and review is a vital part of the process.

Slips and trips hazard spotting

In order to get started with the risk assessment process it may be useful to complete a checklist while walking through your workplace. The following examples and suggestions are taken form the HSE’s Slips and Trips Hazard Spotting Checklist:

1. Outside areas

Potential issues that may arise in outside areas include (this list is not exhaustive):

• Build-up of leaves, wet grass, mud etc. on outside areas e.g. paths, steps and fire escapes.
• Ice build-up on paths in winter months.
• Uneven paving, changes in level or potholes.
• External fire escapes that are slippery when wet.

Often the solutions to these issues are relatively simple and may not be too costly e.g. regular work schedules for clearing paths and cutting back overhanging plants, implementing a winter weather plan (e.g. gritting), improving lighting, applying contrasting paint to changes in level or steps, regular maintenance with respect to potholes and uneven surfaces, and applying slip-resistant coatings to improve the grip on external fire escapes etc.

2. Entrances

Issues that may arise in entrances to buildings may relate to whether water can get into the building, either directly or via shoes. Canopies, improved external drainage, and entrance matting can help to reduce the amount of water actually getting into the building. Installing additional matting inside the building and ensuring that the front door is kept closed can also help. Where there is still a risk of internal floors being contaminated with water then procedures relating to removing the water should be considered e.g. dry mopping the area and/or providing slip-resistant flooring.

3. Internal areas

Where possible the following physical issues need identifying and resolving (this list is not exhaustive):

• Subtle changes in floor level e.g. slopes, ramps, small steps etc. (highlight the hazard by improving lighting, using eye-catching colour contrasts on slope/steps).
• Damage to tiles or flooring (maintenance required).
• Trip hazards in corridors or around workstations e.g. trailing cables, boxes etc. (housekeeping required to keep walkways clear).
• Stair nosing damaged, slippery or hard to see (checking lighting is sufficient, provide/repair nosing to ensure that it is highly visible, square edged and has a non-slip finish).
• Handrails not available (provide suitable handrails).

In addition to physical hazards that may always be present it is important to consider what different areas of a workplace are used for and whether there are any likely work processes which may lead to the floors becoming contaminated over the working day e.g. in the kitchen or in bathroom/shower rooms. If there is a risk then the type of floor in place should be examined in order to assess its suitability. Consideration should be given to the following:

• Spillages.
• Overfilling containers.
• Debris on floor.
• Leaking machines.
• Overspills and leaks.

Clearly the first control is to try and prevent any contamination occurring. This may mean simply providing lids for drinks, or it may involve providing a drip-tray for a particular piece of machinery or improving shower curtains/screens. It may require a change to a system of work or an improvement in work layout or maintenance. It may be necessary to remove contamination quickly using a dry mop, or to brush up dry materials. Ultimately the amount of grip may need to be increased by providing non-slip flooring or slip-resistant footwear.

4. Cleaning

The actual act of cleaning itself, or specifically cleaning up a spillage, can increase the risk of slips or trips if not undertaken properly. Consideration should be given to ensuring that:

• Spillage cleaning equipment is readily available.
• Staff are pro-active in dealing with spillages (“see it, sort it”).
• Staff use the correct method/chemicals and dry the area.
• Barriers/signs are used correctly and removed as soon as the area is safe.
• Cleaning equipment and bin bags are not left out creating a trip hazard.
• Staff are trained on awareness of trip hazards and how to avoid them.

Again, the above list is not exhaustive. The full details of the Hazard Spotting Checklist can be found on the HSE website www.hse.gov.uk/slips.

Hierarchy of Control

Once the hazards have been identified and a risk assessment has been made then suitable control measures need to be considered. As discussed above many of these will be simple controls which cost very little. However other controls may require more financial input.

The following hierarchy for preventative measures should be applied with the ultimate aim of preventing harm to workers:

1. Eliminate the hazard at source e.g. prevent contamination, level uneven floors, provide slip-resistant surfaces.
2. Substitute the hazard by replacing it with something less dangerous e.g. provide cable-free (battery powered) cleaning machines or use alternative methods e.g. dry-floor cleaning.
3. Where it is not possible to prevent workers being put at risk then collective or organisational control measures should be implemented such as limiting access to high-risk areas e.g. use barriers/signs to keep other workers away from wet floors or organize cleaning tasks so that cleaners do not have to step on wet floors whilst cleaning;
4. Finally apply personal control measures e.g. personal protective equipment such as slip-resistant footwear.

In Summary

Many slip and trip injuries could easily have been prevented if employers had considered slips and trips as “real” risks and considered the causes carefully. The controls are often not difficult to implement and minor amendments to working practices can offer easy solutions. Raising awareness of the serious consequences that can arise from a seemingly trivial risk is a key part to prevention.

References:

• European Agency for safety and health at work: Factsheet 81 Risk Assessment – the key to healthy workplaces
• European Agency for safety and health at work: E-Facts 37: Slips, trips, falls and cleaners
• HSE: Slips and trips: Hazard spotting checklist
• HSE: Preventing slips and trips at work INDG225
• www.hse.gov.uk/slips/index.htm
• www.hse.gov.uk/slips/shatteredlives.htm
• http://osha.europa.eu

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