Plasterers and dryliners toolbox talk pack

This talk is about dust from cutting, drilling, grinding, or polishing materials that contain silica. Bricks, tiles, concrete, and mortar contain it. Sandstone contains more than 70 percent silica. Granite might contain 15 to 30 percent. Those figures are HSE's. The fine dust is respirable crystalline silica, RCS. It is too fine to see in normal lighting. If the air looks clear, that is not proof it is safe.

HSE says silica is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos. Heavy and prolonged exposure to RCS can cause lung cancer and other serious lung diseases. Silicosis can cause severe breathing problems and increases the risk of lung infections. It usually follows exposure over many years, but extremely high exposures can cause acute silicosis more quickly. HSE also links silica to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including bronchitis and emphysema. HSE commissioned estimates that silica dust was responsible for the death of over 500 construction workers in 2005. That figure is for 2005. It is not a count I have updated, and it is not a reason to treat today's cut as harmless.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations, COSHH, say you must protect against the risks from hazardous construction dust. HSE's leaflet for employees, INDG463, says control measures for RCS must be effective in keeping exposure below the workplace exposure limit of 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre of respirable dust, averaged over 8 hours. That is a limit for the controls to meet. It is not a target to work up to, and it is not something you can judge by eye.

Stop the dust getting into the air. HSE's construction dust sheet, CIS36, gives two main ways. Water damps the cloud down, but only if enough water is supplied at the right levels for the whole time the work is being done. Just wetting the material beforehand does not work. On-tool extraction removes dust as it is produced. It is local exhaust ventilation fitted to the tool: the tool, a capturing hood, an extraction unit, and tubing. Use an extraction unit to the correct specification. Do not just use a general commercial vacuum.

For silica, choose an H class or M class extraction unit. HSE's sheet on on-tool extraction, CIS69, says those units provide effective and reliable extraction and are fitted with low-flow indicators. Do not put a HEPA filter in a general commercial vacuum and call it done. An L class unit is only suitable for lower-toxicity dusts such as gypsum in plasterboard. It is not the unit for silica. The hood has to sit as close as possible to the work. Dust escapes through any gap. Empty the unit into the correct disposable waste bags, seal them, and put them in the right waste container. Do not empty the bags to recycle them. If you hire the unit, check with the hire company what examination they have done.

Water or extraction may not be enough. Often RPE has to be provided as well. HSE says the general level for construction dust is an assigned protection factor, APF, of 20. That means the wearer breathes one twentieth of the dust in the air. Common types at APF 20 are an FFP3 disposable mask, or a half mask with a P3 filter. For longer work, powered RPE such as a TH2 powered hood. CIS36 says consider powered RPE when people are working for more than an hour without a break, because disposable masks and half masks get uncomfortable. RPE is the last line of protection. If you are relying on RPE alone, HSE says you need to be able to justify why. Tight-fitting masks need a face-fit test, and the wearer needs to be clean shaven. The mask has to be the one that fits that person, not the one left on the dashboard.

For regular removal of dust and debris, CIS36 says damp it, or use vacuum attachments on an H or M class unit, and RPE with an APF of 20 depending on the location, the duration, and the dust. A brush, shovel, and bucket, after damping down, is described for minor one-off amounts, not as the everyday clean. Keep other people out of the dusty area. If the work still looks dusty, the control is not doing its job. Stop and tell the person in charge. Do not carry on and hope the mask will cover it.

On-tool extraction needs a thorough examination and test at least every 14 months, by someone with the right knowledge, and a record that it was done. CIS69 also says formal maintenance checks at least once a week, and more often if the kit is getting damaged. A blocked filter is not a small annoyance. It is the control switched off.

This talk is about moving things by hand on this site. Manual handling, in HSE's words, means transporting or supporting a load by hand or bodily force. It includes lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying, or moving loads. A load can be an object, a person, or an animal. On our jobs it is usually boards, bags, a boiler, a length of timber, or a skip that should have been moved with a barrow.

HSE's page is written for employers. It says you must protect workers from the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling. The law sets out three steps. Avoid hazardous manual handling, so far as reasonably practicable. Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling that cannot be avoided. Reduce the risk of injury to as low as reasonably practicable. The weight of a load is important. The law does not set specific weight limits. Do not let anyone on this site invent a kilogram figure and call it the legal maximum. There isn't one on that page.

In some cases you must provide information about the weight, and the position of the centre of gravity, of each load, if there is a risk of injury and it is reasonably practicable to do this. If the bag or the board has the weight on it, read it out before someone picks it up. If it does not, say that we do not know, and treat that as a reason to be careful, not as a reason to guess.

Good handling technique is not a substitute for the other steps. HSE says that plainly. Lifting aids, a lighter load, a shorter carry, a clear route, and a second person come first. The technique is an addition to those measures, not a replacement.

When a lift still has to be done by hand, HSE describes a basic lift with both hands, the load in front of the body and close to it, without twisting. Think before you lift. Where is it going? Can a handling aid do it? Do you need help? Clear the wrapping and the offcuts. For a long lift, from the floor to shoulder height, think about resting it mid-way so you can change your grip.

Keep the load close to your waist for as long as possible. Keep the heaviest side next to your body. If you cannot get close, slide it towards you before you try to lift it. Feet apart, one leg in front of the other, so you can move your feet during the lift. Hug the load close. A slight bend of the back, hips, and knees at the start is preferable to stooping, or to a full deep squat. Do not flex your back any further while lifting. That happens if the legs straighten before the load starts to rise. Do not twist or lean sideways, especially while the back is bent. Turn by moving your feet. Keep your head up and look ahead once the load is secure. Move smoothly. Do not jerk. Do not lift more than you can easily manage. HSE says there is a difference between what people are able to lift and what they can safely lift. If in doubt, get help. If you need to position it precisely, put it down, then slide it.

If the route is wet, dark, or blocked, that is part of the risk, not a reason to hurry. The slips talk covers the floor. This talk covers the load. If today's method says two people, it stays two people.

This is a short talk about working at height on this site, today. Listen for the job in front of us, not for a generic roof.

HSE's meaning is plain. You are working at height if, without precautions, you could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. That includes work above the ground or the floor. It includes a fall from an edge, through an opening, or through a fragile surface. It also includes a fall from ground level into an opening in a floor, or a hole in the ground. A slip or a trip on the same level is not work at height. Walking up and down a permanent staircase in a building is not work at height either. Those are still hazards. They are a different talk.

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 apply where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. HSE says the duties sit with employers, and with anyone who controls work at height, such as a contractor. The work has to be properly planned and organised. The people doing it have to be competent, or supervised by someone who is. The risks have to be assessed, and the equipment has to match the job. Risks from fragile surfaces have to be managed. Equipment used for work at height has to be inspected and maintained.

HSE's order is the order we use. First, can we avoid the work at height? Do as much as we can from the ground. An extendable tool, or putting the work together before it goes up, is better than climbing. If we cannot avoid it, we prevent the fall. Collective protection comes before a harness: an existing safe place with a permanent guard rail, a scaffold, a tower, or a MEWP. A work-restraint system that stops you reaching the edge is personal protection, and it comes after those collective measures. If a fall can still happen, we shorten the distance and the consequences: nets or soft-landing systems close to the work, or a fall-arrest system with a high anchor. For each step, HSE says consider what is reasonably practicable, and use collective protection before personal protection.

Plan how we would get someone down before anyone goes up. HSE says do not rely only on the emergency services for the rescue in that plan.

Ladders and stepladders are not banned. HSE says they can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, and they should not automatically be the first choice. The regulations allow a ladder when a risk assessment has shown that equipment offering a higher level of fall protection is not justified, because of the low risk and short duration, or because there are existing workplace features which cannot be altered. Short duration is not the deciding factor on its own. Look at the risk first. As a guide, if the task would mean staying on a leaning ladder or a stepladder for more than 30 minutes at a time, HSE recommends you consider alternative equipment. Use a ladder only where it can be used safely: level and stable, and secured where it is reasonably practicable. Use the right type. The person on it needs to know how to use it. Do not overload it, and do not overreach.

On construction work, HSE says handrails have a minimum height of 950 millimetres, and any gap between the top rail and an intermediate rail should not exceed 470 millimetres. Toe boards have to be suitable and sufficient. HSE gives a toe board of a minimum 100 millimetres as an example that would be acceptable.

Roof work is high risk. HSE says falls from roofs, through fragile roofs, and through fragile roof lights are one of the most common causes of workplace death and serious injury. Treat these as likely to be fragile unless you know they are not: roof lights, liner panels on built-up sheeted roofs, non-reinforced fibre cement sheets, corroded metal sheets, glass including wired glass, rotted chipboard, and slates and tiles.

Before anyone goes up today, check the place. HSE says each place where people will work at height needs to be checked every time, before use. Weather that could compromise safety is a reason to stop. Stop materials or objects falling, or keep people out of the area if you cannot stop the fall. If the access is not what the method for this job says, we stop and change the method. We do not change it by climbing anyway.

This talk is about portable leaning ladders and stepladders, on this job, today. The working-at-height talk is the one about whether we should be climbing at all. HSE's ladder overview says ladders and stepladders are not banned. The law calls for a sensible, proportionate approach. A ladder can be a sensible and practical option for low-risk, short-duration tasks. It should not automatically be the first choice. Use the right type, and know how to use it. If the task needs a scaffold, a tower or a MEWP, this talk is not permission to use the ladder because it is already on the roof rack.

Before anyone climbs, they need the manufacturer's instructions to hand, and they do a pre-use check. HSE says the person using the ladder does that check, at the beginning of the working day, and again after something has changed. A ladder that has been dropped, or moved from dirty ground to a clean floor, gets checked again. Look at the stiles. If they are bent or damaged, the ladder could buckle or collapse. Look at the feet. Missing, worn or damaged feet can slip. When you move from soft or dirty ground, such as dug soil, loose stone or a dirty workshop, onto paving, check that the feet themselves are touching the ground, not a lump of soil or a stone stuck in the foot. Look at the rungs. Bent, worn, missing or loose rungs can fail. Look at the locking mechanism. If it does not work, or parts are bent or worn, the ladder could collapse. Locking bars have to be fully engaged. On a stepladder, a split or buckled platform can make it unstable, and contaminated or loose steps can slip or collapse. If you find any of that, do not use the ladder. Tell the person in charge.

A pre-use check is not the same as the employer's inspection. HSE says pre-use checks do not need to be recorded. Problems get reported. The employer also needs a detailed visual inspection, regularly, by a competent person, in line with the manufacturer's instructions, and that one is recorded. Ladders that are part of a scaffold are still inspected every seven days as part of the scaffold inspection. Only use a ladder with no visible defects, an up-to-date inspection record, that is strong enough for the job, and that has been maintained and stored as the manufacturer says. The inspection looks for damaged feet, twisted or dented stiles, cracked or loose rungs, missing tie rods, and cracked welds, loose rivets or damaged stays.

Where it stands matters as much as the ladder. HSE's list: firm ground, level ground, using the manufacturer's levelling device rather than bricks, blocks or bits of timber, and a clean solid surface with no oil, moss, leaves, sand or packaging. A shiny floor can be slippery even when it looks clean. Keep it where vehicles will not strike it. Use barriers or cones. Secure doors and windows that could push it, and do not block a fire exit to do that. Stop the public using it, walking under it, or standing too close. Barriers or cones first. A person standing guard at the bottom is the last resort. The ladder has to be secured.

On a leaning ladder, carry only light materials and tools. Read the label and assess the load, including your own weight. Do not overreach. HSE's test is that your belt buckle, or your navel, stays within the stiles. The ladder has to be long enough. Do not work off the top three rungs, and try to have the ladder extend at least 1 metre, or three rungs, above where you are working. Use the 1-in-4 rule so the angle is about 75 degrees: one unit out for every four units up. Grip the ladder and face the rungs when you climb or come down. Do not slide down the stiles. Do not move or extend it while you are standing on the rungs. Do not stand it on a pallet, bricks, a lift truck, a tower, an excavator bucket, a van or a MEWP. Do not hold items as you climb if you can use a tool belt. Maintain three points of contact when climbing and, wherever possible, at the work position. If you cannot keep a handhold, other than for a brief moment such as starting a nail, you need another way to prevent a fall or to reduce the consequences. Tie the ladder so it cannot slip out or sideways, and rest it on something solid, not glazing or a plastic gutter. A stability device is worth considering if it is the right one and it is used as the maker says.

Do not work within 6 metres horizontally of any overhead power line, unless the line has been made dead or protected with insulation. For any electrical work, use a non-conductive ladder, such as fibreglass or timber. The electrical safety talk covers the rest of live services. A ladder is one of the long items HSE names as a risk near overhead lines.

A stepladder has its own rules. All four feet on the ground, steps level, locking devices engaged. Do not stand and work on the top three steps, including a step that forms the very top, unless there is a suitable handhold. Face the work where you can. A risk assessment can show that side-on is safer in a tight space, but that is the exception, and the locks still have to be fully engaged. Avoid side loading, such as drilling side-on through brick or concrete. If you cannot avoid it, tie the steps so they cannot tip, or use better access. Three points of contact at the working position means two feet and one hand, or, when both hands are needed for a brief period, two feet and your body supported by the stepladder.

Telescopic ladders are leaning ladders that do not all work the same way. Use, store and transport them with care, and keep them clean, as well as following the rest of this guidance. If the check fails, the ladder stays on the ground. We do not climb it to prove it is fine.

This is an awareness talk. It is not training to work on asbestos. HSE says asbestos awareness training does not allow you to work on asbestos. If you have not had the training for the work, you do not start.

HSE says asbestos is the greatest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. Around 5,000 people die every year from asbestos-related diseases. Those diseases typically take decades to develop, and they cannot be cured. The fibres are too small to see, smell, or feel, in the air or on your clothes. You will not know they are there.

Asbestos was used in many buildings until it was banned in 1999. Buildings constructed after 2000 are unlikely to contain it. A lot of it is still in place. People who work on the structure of older buildings can still be exposed if it is damaged or disturbed. HSE names drilling into a wall, refurbishment, demolition, and installation work. You are more likely to meet it if the building was built or refurbished before 2000, if nobody inspected the area, or if the information was not passed on.

Left alone and in good condition, HSE says the risk is low. Once it is disturbed, fibres can be released and breathed in. That can cause lung disease and cancer, which could prove fatal. Do not sand it, break it, drill it, or sweep dust you cannot account for, to 'see what it is'. You cannot identify it as safe by looking at it.

If you come across any material you think may contain asbestos, HSE's instruction to workers is: stop work, and speak to your employer, or the building owner, to find out if asbestos is in the building. Your employer should ask to see the asbestos register or survey, and check there is enough information to do the work. If you are breaking into the fabric, a refurbishment survey may be required. Do not do any work until that has been completed. Even if a survey exists, it might not have found every location. Assume it can still be hidden.

If asbestos is disturbed, stop work immediately. HSE says it must be dealt with quickly, and points workers to the guidance on what to do if you discover or accidentally disturb asbestos, the sheet EM1. Follow that. Do not try to tidy it, bag it, or carry on with a dust mask from the van because you want to finish the room.

Some work has to be done by a licensed asbestos contractor. HSE's worker page says: if in doubt, assume the work is licensed and stop until you are told otherwise.

If you are self-employed, HSE's worker page says you are responsible. The introduction to the same guidance says a self-employed person has the same responsibilities under the law as an employer and a worker. That does not mean you assess the material yourself and carry on. It means the duty to stop, and to get the right information and the right people, sits with you.

On a domestic job, contractors still have to protect people from the risks of their work, including asbestos-containing materials. The homeowner being in the house is not a reason to take a chance on a cupboard, a soffit, a floor tile, or a heating flue. Ask what the building is, and what year the part you are opening was built or refurbished. If nobody knows, stop and find out before you open it.

What you do today, if you are unsure: stop, tell the person in charge of this site, and do not let anyone else start the same hole. Show them the HSE pages linked under this talk if they want the source. Do not photograph it and ask a chat tool whether it is asbestos. A photo is not a survey.

This talk is about noise that can damage hearing. It is not the vibration talk, though the same tools often do both. The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 require employers to prevent or reduce risks from noise at work. Employees have duties too. HSE's list for employers is: assess the risks, take action to reduce the exposure, provide hearing protection if other methods cannot reduce it enough, make sure the legal limits are not exceeded, give information, instruction and training, and carry out health surveillance where there is a risk to health. Low-level noise that is only a nuisance, and does not risk hearing damage, is outside those regulations.

The action values are daily or weekly averages, plus a peak. HSE's employers page sets the lower exposure action values at a daily or weekly exposure of 80 dB(A), and a peak sound pressure of 135 dB(C). The upper exposure action values are 85 dB(A), and a peak of 137 dB(C). The exposure limit values, which must not be exceeded, are 87 dB(A) and a peak of 140 dB(C). HSE's book L108 says you must not permit exposure above those limit values at the ear, so the reduction from hearing protection can be taken into account there, and that if a limit is exceeded you must act immediately to get the exposure at the ear back below it. You cannot hear the difference between 80 and 85 and call it a measurement. These are not numbers you guess from how annoying a saw sounds.

On a construction site, HSE says you will probably have to do something about noise if people have to raise their voices to talk while about 2 metres apart, for at least part of the day, or if they use noisy powered tools or machinery for more than half an hour a day, or if they are exposed to regular impacts such as pneumatic drills, or to explosive sources such as cartridge-operated tools. A separate rule of thumb on HSE's assessing page says the level is probably 80 dB or more if the noise is intrusive but normal conversation is still possible between people 2 metres apart, and probably 85 dB or more if you have to shout to talk to someone 2 metres away for more than about two hours in total. Those are prompts to assess, not a certificate that a quieter spell was safe. Enclosed spaces reflect noise back and can raise the exposure. Give particular attention to anyone who already has a hearing problem.

HSE names the kit that puts people at higher risk if they use it regularly, or work near it: concrete breakers, pokers and compactors, sanders, grinders, disc cutters, hammer drills, chipping hammers, cartridge-operated tools, scabblers and needle guns, and heavy plant. The first control is to make less noise. Eliminate the noisy task at the design stage where you can. HSE's examples of a quieter process are a block splitter instead of a cut-off saw, bursting or crushing instead of pneumatic drilling, and boring instead of pile driving. Limit reversing, because reversing alarms add to the noise. Isolate people by keeping cab doors and windows closed, or by using remote-controlled equipment. Shut plant down when it is not in use.

If noisy work remains, HSE says select low-noise tools, fit mufflers, silencers and sound panels, use barriers or existing cabins to stop noise travelling, keep people out of noisy areas, put stationary plant far from the work, and move walkways away from it. Rotate people, and use quiet days, so the exposure is managed. Weekly averaging is allowed as a way to manage exposures. Hearing protection comes after that. HSE's construction noise page and the noise FAQ both say you should not rely on hearing protection as the only control. It fails and it gets misused. Too much protection is also a problem, because people on a site need to hear what is happening and need to talk.

The hearing protection page says what the law then requires. Provide protectors if an employee asks and their exposure is between the lower and upper action values. Provide them, and make sure they are used properly, when exposure exceeds the upper action values. Identify hearing protection zones, where use is compulsory, and mark them with signs. Train people how to use and care for them. Aim at least to get below 85 dB at the ear. Avoid protectors that reduce the level at the ear to below 70 dB, because that over-protection can isolate people and lead them to take the protection off. HSE gives a guide, not a substitute for a proper calculation, based on the single number rating of the protector and the noise level of the task: 20 or less for 85 to 90 dB, 20 to 30 for 90 to 95, 25 to 35 for 95 to 100, and 30 or more for 100 to 105. That table is not for noise with a lot of low frequency, and HSE lists press shops, generators, plant rooms and boiler houses among the places it does not fit. Do not make hearing protection compulsory where the law does not require it, and do not have a blanket rule that ignores the task.

Protection only works when it is worn and fitted. Taking it off for a few minutes in the noise considerably lowers the protection. Long hair, woolly hats, spectacles and earrings can spoil the fit. So can a hard hat, a dust mask or eye protection, if the combination was not thought through. Check that earmuff seals are undamaged, that the headband still has its tension, that nobody has modified the protector, and that compressible plugs are soft, clean and pliable. Provide a range so people can find one that suits them. Health surveillance, meaning hearing checks, is needed if people are frequently exposed above the upper action value, or if they are at risk for another reason, such as already having hearing loss. If a check finds a problem, review the controls and act to prevent further harm.

HSE is plain about the harm. Noise can seriously damage hearing. Some people get a ringing in the ears, tinnitus, which can become permanent. Once hearing has gone, it will not come back. There is no cure. Hearing aids cannot fully compensate. The damage can make it harder to hear warnings, which is how a hearing problem becomes an accident. If today's job needs a shout at two metres, we look for a quieter way before we reach for the defenders. If the defenders are the control, they stay on for the whole noisy spell, and they are the pair that fits with the hat.

This talk is about hand-arm vibration from the tools we hold. Breakers, cut-off saws, hammer drills, grinders, sanders, impact wrenches, needle scalers, and the rest of the van. If you hold a workpiece that vibrates while a machine works on it, that counts too.

Hand-arm vibration syndrome, HAVS, is preventable. Once the damage is done, it is permanent. HSE says that on its key-messages page, and again on the page written for workers. Damage can include not being able to do fine work, and cold can trigger painful finger-blanching attacks. HSE's key messages also say nearly 2 million people are at risk. That is HSE's figure. I am not turning it into a percentage of this crew.

The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005 set two figures for hand-arm vibration. The exposure action value is a daily exposure of 2.5 metres per second squared A(8). At that level, employers should introduce technical and organisational measures to reduce exposure. The exposure limit value is 5.0 metres per second squared A(8), which should not be exceeded. These are daily exposures, not a vibe you can feel and then ignore. You cannot guess them from how much the handle buzzes.

HSE's page for workers says you are particularly at risk if you regularly operate hammer-action tools for more than about 15 minutes a day, or some rotary and other action tools for more than about one hour a day, because you are likely to be above the exposure action value. Those times are a prompt to take the regulations seriously. They are not a promise that 14 minutes is safe, and they are not a limit you can set for a tool you have not looked up. The exposure depends on the tool. HSE publishes a vibration calculator for the sum. The manufacturer's data, and the way the tool is actually used, belong in that sum. Do not let a guess stand in for it.

Early signs HSE tells workers to look for: tingling and numbness in the fingers, which can disturb sleep. Not being able to feel things with your fingers. Loss of strength in the hands. In the cold and wet, the tips of the fingers going white, then red, and being painful on recovery. That last one is vibration white finger. If you keep using high-vibration tools, HSE says these symptoms will probably get worse: numbness that becomes permanent, trouble picking up small objects such as screws or nails, and white finger that happens more often and spreads to more fingers.

It is the employer's responsibility to protect you. HSE also says you should help. Ask whether the job can be done a different way, without the vibrating tool. That is the control HSE puts first: new or alternative methods that eliminate or reduce exposure. If the tool still has to be used, ask for a suitable low-vibration tool. Use the right tool for the job so the work is quicker. Check the tool before use. A fault or general wear increases vibration. Keep cutting tools sharp. Do other jobs in between, so you are not on the tool for one long stretch. Do not grip or force it harder than you have to. Do not leave tools so the handles are freezing the next time. Keep warm and dry. Smoking reduces blood flow, which is why HSE mentions cutting down. Report symptoms promptly to your employer or the person who does the health checks. Health surveillance is how early damage gets picked up. Use the controls that have been put in place. Do not tape the trigger or take the guard off to get finished.

If your hands are tingling after a normal spell on a tool, say so today. Waiting until you cannot pick up a screw is waiting too long. HSE is clear that the damage does not undo itself.

This talk is about slips and trips on the level. A fall from a height, or through a roof, is the working-at-height talk. People mix them up because both end with someone on the ground. HSE treats them separately, and so should we.

HSE's leaflet INDG225 says slips and trips are the most common cause of injury at work. On average, they cause 40 percent of all reported major injuries, and they can lead to other serious accidents, including falls from height. They are also the most reported injury to members of the public. That 40 percent is the figure in the leaflet. I have not replaced it with a newer number of my own.

The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 requires employers to ensure the health and safety of employees and anyone affected by the work, so far as is reasonably practicable. That includes slip and trip risks. Employees have a duty not to put themselves or others in danger, and must use any safety equipment provided. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess risks, including slip and trip risks, and where necessary take action. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require floors to be suitable, in good condition, and free from obstructions, so people can move around safely.

HSE's trip page is the practical bit. The majority of trips are caused by obstructions in walkways. The rest are caused by uneven surfaces. Preventing them is often simple. You need all three of these right: the walkway, the housekeeping, and the design and maintenance.

Is there a suitable walkway, is it in the right place, and is it actually being used? A walkway blocked by a plasterboard stack is not a walkway. What task is happening on it? If someone is carrying a load that stops them seeing their feet, the manual-handling talk and this talk are the same moment.

Housekeeping: it is not enough to have a walkway. It has to be kept clear. No trailing wires. No offcuts. No tools left where the next person walks. HSE's phrase is a see-it, sort-it attitude, for the people doing the work and for anyone cleaning. Are there enough places to put waste, or does it land on the floor because there is nowhere else?

Design and maintenance: is the floor suitable, fitted properly, and maintained? Are walkways wide enough and level? On stairs, are the risers consistent, are nosings highlighted where necessary, and are usable handrails available? Is the lighting good enough to see the hazard? A lead light that leaves the landing in the dark is part of this talk.

Slips have their own set of causes. HSE calls it the slip potential model: contamination on the floor, the cleaning, the people, the flooring, the environment, and the footwear. One or more of those can be in play. Water, mud from boots, dust, and offcuts are the usual contamination on our jobs. Where the floor cannot be kept clean and dry, HSE says slip-resistant footwear can help. If footwear is supplied as personal protective equipment, it has to be supplied and used as PPE. Trial it so it suits the floor and the person. A smooth-soled trainer on a wet hall floor is a choice, and it is a bad one.

Before we start the next task, look at the route the customer, the other trades, and we will actually walk. Move what is in it. If the floor is wet from us, we say so, and we keep people off it until it is dealt with. A warning sign that stays up all day, over a dry floor, trains everyone to ignore the next one.