Avoiding Slips and Trips In the Workplace

In the UK, slips, trips, and falls accounted for 31% of all non-fatal work-related injuries in 2023/24, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). This means that nearly 180,000 people were injured by slips, trips, and falls in that year. These incidents often lead to injuries like broken bones and fractures. 

Employers have a legal and ethical obligation to manage slip and trip accidents in the workplace, as they are a significant cause of workplace injuries. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and subsequent regulations require employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees, including taking steps to control slip and trip risks. It is also the case of course that employees must not endanger themselves or others and must use any safety equipment provided.

In general, to prevent slips, trips, and falls in the workplace, it is necessary to prioritise good housekeeping, ensure adequate lighting, and provide appropriate footwear.  Hazards like spills and tripping hazards must be properly managed and it’s also vital to maintain walkways and keep them free of obstructions to minimize risks. 

The HSE as you would expect sets out more detailed information on causes and prevention of this type of accident which I reproduce below:

Slips

Slip and trip accidents happen for a number of reasons. The following model will help you understand the factors that can contribute to slip accidents and the action to take to prevent them. It is called the slip potential model. One or more of these factors may play a part in any slip accident.

• Slip potential model

• Contamination overview

• Cleaning (in Slips)

• People

• Flooring

• Environment

• Footwear

Trips

The majority of trips are caused by obstructions in walkways. The rest are caused by uneven surfaces. Preventing these accidents is often simple and cost-effective.

You need to get all three right (walkways, housekeeping and design and maintenance), to prevent tripping accidents

Trip potential triangle:

Walkways

Check for  suitable walkways - Are they in the right place,? Are they being used, are they available for use?

What tasks are taking place on the walkway? Is the task preventing the employee from seeing where he is going for example?

Housekeeping

It is not just good enough to have a walkway, it must be kept clear, no trailing wires, no obstructions. Employees and cleaners need to have 'a see it, sort it' attitude to ensure these and other work areas are kept clear. Is the cleaning regime effective? Are there enough bins, storage facilities etc?

Design and maintenance

Is the floor suitable for the environment, fitted correctly and properly maintained? Are the walkways wide enough & level? Are stairs suitable, are risers consistent, are nosings highlighted where necessary, are usable handrails available? Environmental factors also fall into this category. Is the lighting good enough for employees to see hazards? What about distractions that might prevent them from seeing where they are going?

Forbes Comment:

Of course, the major reason for adopting any safe system of work is to keep employees safe and avoid injuries. However, the consequences of failing to instigate and adopt a safe system can be painful and costly not only for the injured worker.  Where there is blame there will almost inevitably be a claim ( for damages). Also, the employer may find itself facing a Health and Safety Executive  (HSE) Prosecution and these can also be brought against individuals within the organisation.  Convictions  will  result in, often very  heavy, fines  and in serious cases imprisonment.

Here at Forbes Solicitors we see many damages claims and some prosecutions resulting from such injuries.  If a civil damages claim for a fall at work resulting from slip or trip is to be successfully defended (or indeed a prosecution) it will be essential to establish that a safe system of work had been  in place at the time of the accident. Inevitably this would necessitate  a detailed risk assessment that had been kept regularly updated. Evidence would also need to be produced that this wasn’t just a system that existed “on paper” but one that was actually adopted and managed. We have successfully defended such a claim recently where the court accepted that despite the fact that the injury was caused by a slip the system of work in place was a good one and designed to avoid spillages and that in the case of this accident where a spillage had just occurred moments before the fall, it could not reasonably have been prevented.

So, the message to all employers, and one that will be shouted loud and clear by your liability insurers is that you must not slip up by failing to institute a safe system of work for dealing with slips and trip.  Make sure this is embodied in a risk assessment document that is updated regularly, and in particular after any accident or near miss.