Slips and Trips
In 2008/2009, slips and
trips in local authority enforced workplaces in Great Britain
accounted for 36% of all reportable major injuries, and 23% of
over-3-day injuries, to employees.
It is estimated that the annual cost of slips and trips
accidents to society could be over £800 million, with over £500
million directly contributable to costs to employers.
Approximately one third of reportable accidents received by
Allerdale Borough Council are as a result of a slip, trip or fall,
which are in line with national trends. As a result, Allerdale
Borough Council Environmental Health Department are targeting slips
by supporting the HELA priority programme for slips and trips.
Officers from the Food and Occupational Health Section of
Allerdale Borough Council will contribute to this programme by:
- Reactive work to ensure that appropriate remedial action is
taken, by;
- Investigating all reportable accidents involving a slipping or
tripping incident;
- Investigating all complaints involving a slipping or tripping
risk;
However the reported accidents or complaints received by the
department are only the tip of the ice-berg, businesses may be
aware of slipping incidents where people pick themselves up off the
floor, or near misses that the Environmental Health Department
would not be aware of. Therefore businesses must put in suitable
systems to assess the risk of slipping so that further incidents do
not occur.
Officers will be promoting and advising on risk assessments by
proactive work to ensure that suitable control measures are in
place to prevent slips from occurring, by:
- Including an assessment of slips and trips in all routine
health and safety inspections.
- Offering advice for new businesses, existing businesses
refurbishing or at any other time.
Inspectors are assessing whether businesses are:
- Assessing the true extent of their slips risks?
- Specifically targeting slips risks with separate
arrangements?
- Avoiding wet contamination (the cause of 90% of slips);
- Where a risk remains, providing a floor of sufficient surface
roughness.
The following are examples of slip and trips incidents that
would be reportable:
- If a customer (member of the public) slips or trips as a result
of your work activity i.e. cleaning activities being carried out or
contamination on the floor causing them to slip i.e. food or water
spillage, and they are taken to hospital from your premises.
- If an employee or self employed person working on your premises
slips or trips as a result of your work activity, and
- Is subsequently off work or unable to carry out normally duties
for 3 days;
- Suffers a major injury, such as breaking their arm etc;
- Admitted to hospital for more than 24 hours;
- Fatality (this also includes members of the public).
If officers come across floor surfaces which cause concern or
there is a slipping accident reported, measurements of the surface
micro-roughness can be taken and analysed using the Health and
Safety Executive's (HSE) Slips Assessment Tool (SAT).
The HSE have guidance on dealing with slips and trips which can
be found by clicking on the related link below.