Slips, trips and falls

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.