Preventing slips and trips in the workplace

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA or HSW Act), employers are required to ensure the health and safety of all employees and anyone affected by their work, providing a safe environment with adequate safety training. This includes balancing the level of risk against the measures needed to control the risk in terms of money, time, or trouble.

All employers and those with responsibilities for health and safety within premises should ensure that all risk assessments are updated and reviewed, and that all risks are addressed. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 enforce the legal requirement for employers to assess risks, including slip and trip risks. Risks and controls should be communicated to all at risk, and there should be ample opportunity for discussion and consultation.

It’s important to consider the risks that have potential to cause harm that often have simple solutions, such as ensuring spills including fluids, saw dust, and swarf are promptly cleaned as a dry, clean floor is rarely a slip risk.

Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, all floors must be suitable, in good condition, and free from obstructions.

The slip potential model is used to understand the factors that can contribute to slip accidents and the actions needed to prevent them. The model includes contamination, cleaning, people, flooring, environment, and footwear.

Seasonal weather conditions can impact the state of the ground, and those working outdoors in the winter months are exposed to additional risk due to muddy and slippery underfoot hazards or high winds introducing trip hazards.

Inadequate footwear, poor lighting, reduced visibility, poor road surfaces, potholes, changes in floor levels, trailing cables, leaks, and water ingress are all significant hazards that employers should be considering in seasonal risk assessments.

Trips are typically as a result of obstructions in walkways and uneven surfaces. The trip prevention triangle, consisting of walkways, housekeeping, and design and maintenance, requires all three elements to be suitable to have a safe environment. This involves ensuring walkways are being used appropriately, there are no obstructions on the walkway, and that the walkway is suitable for use with handrails on stairs and good enough lighting to see any potential hazards.