If any of us slip or trip the first thing we usually do is to look around to see if anyone saw us, with this category of incident commonly not taken as seriously as it should. Even Al Pacino took a tumble at the BAFTA award ceremony this year after tripping on the red carpet.
In terms of accidents in the UK workplace, slips, trips and falls on the same level are the leading cause of accidents and accounted for around 20,000 non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2018/19 (https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/index.htm).
These injuries can be devastating for the individual involved, their family and generate a huge financial burden on industry from injury claims and working days lost.
One HSE case study showed a carpet company who failed to maintain their own carpets. The shop floor was very congested with stock and goods left in the main walkways. There were also areas of worn and damaged carpets in the public area. The warehouse at the rear of the premises was even more congested with stock, restricting access to the racking and obstructing the fire exit. https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/experience/carpetcompany.htm
Another HSE case study showed the devasting effect on a young woman following two avoidable slip incidents with the injured person having to have one of her legs amputated. She advised that although she received compensation, she had lost her job and will never work again due to ongoing problems. Her husband has also lost his business because he is now a full-time carer for his wife. https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/experience/leg.htm
It is also worth bearing in mind that with any COVID-19 workplace changes additional employer’s liability claims could arise due to slip, trips and falls. This could result from changes in cleaning processes, use of new routes around the workplace, fear of using a handrail and restrictions on space available for storing equipment, materials or product for example. Employers should ensure that any additional COVID-19 control measures do not adversely affect other areas of risk.
Slips and trips can however usually be avoided by adopting simple and cost-effective measures which include carrying our suitable risk assessments, implementing good housekeeping and cleaning regimes, preventing floors from becoming wet or contaminated and providing appropriate flooring and footwear.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website is a great resource in the UK and they have a free slips and trips hazard spotting checklist that you may find useful. https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ck4.pdf
Or contact the International Risk Club directly at[email protected] for advice tailored to your company, provided within 10 working days