Over 14,000 workers were seriously injured and nearly 50 people died last year following a slip, trip or fall from height at work.
The campaign will focus on the five sectors where risk of injury from a slip, trip or fall is greatest, and on the people in these sectors who can make a difference:
- Construction - site managers
- Building and Plant Maintenance - trades-people
- Hotel and Catering - chefs and kitchen managers
- Food Retail - area managers from bigger chains
- Food Manufacturing - shift managers
Our Health, Safety & Environment Guide, now available to all members as part of their membership, offers guidance on dealing with slips, trips and falls.
Over a third of all major injuries reported each year are caused as a result of a slip or trip (the single most common cause of injuries at work). These accidents cost employers over £500million a year in lost production and other costs.
In HSE’s leaflet INDG225 “Preventing Slips and Trips at Work” there is a recommended five-step approach to assessing slip and trip hazards, as follows:
Step 1 - Look for slip and trip hazards around the workplace, such as uneven floors, trailing cables, areas that are sometimes slippery due to spillages. Include outdoor areas.
Step 2 - Decide who might be harmed and how? Who comes into the workplace? Are they at risk? Do you have any control over them? Remember that older people and people with disabilities may be at particular risk.
Step 3 - Consider the risks. Are the precautions already taken adequate to deal with the risks?
Step 4 - Record your findings if you have five or more employees.
Step 5 - Regularly review the assessment. If any significant changes take place, make sure existing precautions and management arrangements are still adequate to deal with the risks.