Health & Safety at Work
Slips and Trips

Every 4½ seconds, a worker in the EU is involved in an accident that results in at least 3 days absence from work, this totals over 7 million people annually. Accident risks are higher in small and medium enterprises, particularly those with less than 50 employees.

Often there are simple measures that can be taken to reduce or eliminate common accidents such as slips, trips and falls.

Preventative measures include:

• Good housekeeping - poor standards of cleaning and untidiness are a major cause of slips, trips and falls at work. Keep work areas clean and tidy, with floors and access routes clear of obstacles or obstructions. Rubbish should be regularly removed to a designated area outside the building.
  
  
• Lighting - provide good lighting levels, without glare or shadows, particularly on access routes and staircases. External lighting may be necessary to walkways or staircases used by staff and visitors outside the workplace.
  
  
• Flooring - should be level and even and be checked regularly for any damage. Loose carpets or mats cause many accidents. Repairs should be made as quickly as possible. Any changes of gradient should be highlighted and slippery surfaces replaced or treated with a non-slip coating.
  
  
• Stairways - handrails must be provided to all stairways and they must be securely fixed to the structure of the staircase or adjoining wall. It is important that high visibility and non-slip nosing's (that is the very edge of a step) with a good colour contrast are used to help prevent slips and trips. Ideally the nosing should be square - a curved nosing makes it more difficult to judge where the very edge of the step is. A single step or ramp should be clearly marked.
  
  
• Spillages - ensure staff know who to report these to so that they can be cleaned up immediately. Make sure proper signs are used when any floors are wet or are in the process of being cleaned.
  
  
• Trailing cables - ensure electrical equipment or telephones are placed so that cables don't trail across floors or access routes. Use cable managers, cable ties or floor cable covers to remove tripping hazards.
  
  
• Footwear - workers should be provided with footwear that is suitable for the work environment. Factors such as any waste material, dust, etc, produced by the job, the material of the floor surfaces, environmental factors (e.g. water, dust, ice, etc.) and slip resistance of the footwear soles should be taken into account.

|You can download a checklist which may help you in your risk assessment process - it's only an example but indicates some of the key points to be considered.