Slips and trips

1
Slips and trips

• Brian Seditas
• Senior Environmental Health officer

2
Slips and trips

• One slip or trip accident occurs every three
  minutes
• Retail, catering and leisure account for 2/3 of
  all slipping / tripping accidents.
• Injured party just as likely to be a member of
  the public as an employee.

3
The extent of the problem

• Statistically - on average
• 33 of all reported major injuries
• 20 of over-3-day injuries to employees
• 2 fatalities per year
• 50 of all reported accidents to members of the
  public
• cost to employers 512 million per year
• cost to health service 133 million per year
• Incalculable human cost

4
What are the main causes of slips and trips?

• 2/3 of slips are a result of contaminants.
• Causes include inadequate prevention of
  contaminants reaching floor surfaces, poor
  cleaning practices / management

5
What contributes to the slip/ trip risk?
Floor
Contamination
Environment

Obstacles
Slip /
trip
Potential
People
Footwear
6
What are the main slipping hazards?

• Leaks, spills and splashes of liquids solids
• Wet processes
• Unsuitable floors
• Unsuitable footwear for floor
• Rain, mud
• Unsuitable entrance matting
• Sloping surfaces
• Wet floors following cleaning

7
What are the main tripping hazards?

• Loose floorboards / tiles
• Loose and worn mats / carpets
• Accumulated waste materials
• Electrical telephone socket outlets
• Trailing cables, pallets, tools, etc. in gangways

8
Footwear

• No British Standard for slip resistance (there is
  for crushing strength of toe and of
  puncture-resistance of heel)
• Safety shoes may be unsuitable for different
  environments. See HSG156 food guidance.
  Consider sole material, tread pattern.
• Suggest that company should request a test pair
  of safety shoes from manufacturer to ensure that
  they are suitable for the environment.

9
Kenny

• Software-based. Operator feeds in
• Surface roughness readings
• Floor type
• Contamination type/ amount/ source/ recurrence
• Footwear type
• Cleaning regime/ frequency
• Persons using floor
• Environmental factors
• System give slip risk factor 0 - 40

10
Legislation

• Health and Safety at Work, Etc Act 1974 (general
  duties)
• Management of Health and Safety at Work
  Regulations 1999 (risk assessment)
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
  Regulations 1992 (specific in relation to
  maintenance of workplaces, condition of flooring,
  walkways, prevention of obstructions, cleanliness
  etc)

11
Management of Health and Safety at Work
Regulations 1999

• Employers to assess the risks (including slips
  trips risks) to employees and others who may be
  affected by their work or business
• To enable identification of the measures they
  need to take to comply with health safety law

12
Risk Assessment

• Identify the hazards
• Decide who may be harmed
• Evaluate the risks and decide if the existing
  precautions are adequate
• Record the significant findings
• Review the assessment periodically

13
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1992

• Floors/traffic routes
• To be of a construction that is suitable for
  purpose
• To have no hole or slope, or be uneven or
  slippery so as to expose any person to a risk to
  their safety
• To have effective drainage where necessary
• These requirements for floor construction all
  absolute.

14
Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
Regulations 1992

• So far as reasonably practicable, floors/traffic
  routes to be kept free from obstructions and
  substances likely to cause a person to slip, trip
  or fall
• Staircases to be provided with suitable and
  sufficient handrails

15
Minimising the risks

• Ensure S T included in risk assessment
• Prompt reporting and follow-up of leaks
• Operate a clean as you go policy
• Allocate responsibilities for cleaning up
• Get workforce buy in to these
• Consider a campaign to reduce Slips and trips