Slips trips and falls training presentation

1. Slips, Trips and Falls
Training Presentation

2. Introduction
 A third of all serious injuries in the workplace involve slips and
trips on the same level
 About a quarter of workplace fatalities involve falls from over
2m in height
 A risk management programme should be followed, which
should include:
– Risk assessment
– Cleaning and maintenance regimes
– Inspections
– Accidents/incident reporting

3. Cost Factors
Slip and trip accidents generate many costly civil claims, either directly
or indirectly
Other cost factors include:
 lost income, pain suffered and reduced quality of life for the
individual
 damages, administration and insurance costs, overtime and staff
training costs, lost production time and temporary absences of
work for the employer
 loss of potential output, medical costs and social security costs for
society
 reputational damage
 loss of morale and productivity

4. Causes of Slips
Slips often take place when there is not effective contact
between a shoe sole and the floor surface; this can be due to:
 Contamination — rain water, oil, debris
 Flooring — defective, unsuitable for the working environment
 Environment — lighting, weather, humidity, loud or unfamiliar
noises
 Footwear — inappropriate, lacking slip resistance, soiled with
mud, oils, grease or water
 Human factors/unsafe behaviour — rushing, distractions such
as use of mobile phones

5. Causes of Trips
Trips occur when an obstruction prevents the normal movement
of the foot and this results in a loss of balance, eg:
 objects left in walkways, poor housekeeping
 uneven floor surfaces
 poorly-maintained floor surfaces
 poor design and layout of work space, eg too little or too
much lighting

6. Falls from Height
The most frequent types of falls from height seem to be falls:
 from ladders
 from machinery
 from open edges
 through roof lights
 through fragile roofs
 from vehicles
 from platforms

7. Common Causes of These Accidents
 Problems are not recognised
 Safe systems of work are not provided
 Safe systems of work are not followed
 Adequate information, instruction, training or supervision are
not provided
 Appropriate equipment is not used
 Safe equipment is not provided

8. Secondary Events
 A slip or trip can begin a chain of events that results in a
serious accident — they are a major contributor to falls from
height
 According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), falls and
slips and trips combined made up more than half of all
reported specified injuries and almost a third of over-seven-
day injuries to employees
 On average eight days (full-time) are lost per case due to slips,
trips and falls

9. Preliminary Assessment
A preliminary assessment can:
 determine what areas and activities involve a significant risk
of slip, trip and fall injury and therefore require a full risk
assessment
 involve direct observation during safety sampling exercises or
inspections
Analysis of accident and incident records may also help identify
areas and activities which present particular problems

10. Full Assessment
When carrying out a detailed assessment of the risks of slips,
trips and falls, consider:
 the individual
 the task being performed
 the immediate environment (including the floor, the steps and
stairs, the lighting, wet areas, cleanliness and housekeeping
and equipment)

11. Control Measures
 Consider whether the slip, trip and fall hazards can be
eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level
 A risk management approach to slip, trip and fall accidents
requires the identification and control of factors relating to
the individual, work activity and workplace environment
which could give rise to slips, trips and falls
 A robust and regular cleaning and maintenance regime of the
working environment, especially of floors
 Equipment should be maintained in order to reduce the
leakage of liquids and contaminants
 Adequate storage facilities must be provided
 Adequate lighting levels; additional lighting may be required
at changes in level

12. Control Measures (Cont’d)
 Obstructions and spills should be removed immediately, or
warning signs and barriers should be erected until clean up
has been completed
 Non-slip flooring should be provided in high-risk areas, eg
kitchens
 Effective cable management procedures
 Suitable footwear informed by a risk assessment
 Workplace designs and layouts should reduce risk

13. Inspection and Monitoring
 Workplaces should be subject to regular inspection and
random monitoring using techniques such as safety sampling
 Safety sampling involves dividing the workplace into routes
that can be walked briskly in 5–10 minutes. A route is selected
at random and walked by someone independent of the area,
who notes any hazards spotted
 Inspections involve observation of physical factors in an area,
using a standard checklist

14. Disciplinary Procedures and Systems
Supervision and disciplinary procedures should help to ensure
that appropriate footwear is worn at all times and that spillages
and wet areas are dealt with quickly and effectively

15. Finally …
 Do not rush
 Be alert
 Concentrate
 Keep areas clear
 Wear appropriate footwear
 Deal with spillages as soon as possible
 Be alert
 Report problems