Slips, Trips & Falls Awareness

Slips, trips and falls account for almost a third of non fatal injuries at work. It is a widely thought that, with just a few minor changes to working practices, along with better awareness and training, we would see significantly fewer accidents of this type. Legislation relating to these accidents come under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW Act). Two other relevant pieces of legislatons are:  The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.

Statistics relating to why people were off work due to accidents share that a third wheel because of back pain or problems with knees, hips and elbows. Another third are off sick because of slips, trips and falls. This is one of the reasons slips, trips and falls get grouped together. Because when combined, they make up a third of the reason why people are off work. It’s convenient. It’s neat, but it doesn’t give an accurate picture.

Employers should manage slip and trip risks as they would any other risks or any other aspects of their business, such as production volumes or product quality. With slips andtrips, a small investment can give an immediate reduction in risk.

The course examines some of the basic facts about slips, trips and falls, and why it’s so important to understand and control these events. Although at first glance, it might seem that slips trips and falls are essentially the same, they are ultimately different and should be assessed individually.

Slip, trip and falls hazards are placed into three distinct categories, which enables managers to better able to identify specific dangers and make more accurate risk assessments. These hazards that fall under the heading “Slips, trips and falls” are covered in separately  in the training and give the learner key action points to work with in each area.

Management System and other documentation
You will be given the tools to put an effective management system in place to handle these types of hazards. An efficient management system for slips and trips will help identify problem areas and decide what needs to be done to control the risks. It will also help you act on decisions, check the effectiveness of the steps taken and ensure compliance with legislation. The system has to assess the risk to employees and other people who may be affected by their work, including visitors, suppliers and members of the public. Workers also needs to be involved and committed to reducing risks.

Other Documentation
It’s a good idea to develop an incident documentation form tailored to your business. You should keep a copy of all incident reports in a safe place. Other documents you should file include regular premises inspections, floor care maintenance records, and copies of maintenance agreements with outside suppliers

The HSE have also produced a useful guide which details the uses of these pieces of legislation in relation to the management of slips, trips and falls: Preventing Slips and Trips at Work