Whilst slippery floors are a common occurence in numerous workplaces, they are commonly missed as a safety hazard. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), over a third of all major injuries reported every year are caused by a slip or trip - the most common cause of injury at work. Furthermore, 95% of over 3-day absences from work due to injury are a result of slips, trips and falls.
Law suits arising as a result of an injury can be very damaging to companies and their insurance may only cover part of the cost. A good management system can provide safe footing {Anyone at work, but particularly employers, can help to reduce slip and trip hazards through good health and safety arrangements.|Everyone at work and in particular employers can play a part in reducing slips through proper health and safety practices.|Proper health and safety can reduce the risk of slip and trip hazards.
Effective solutions are often simple, cheap and lead to other benefits. Planning identifies hazard areas and facilitates goals for improvement. Employers can work with employees to identify areas on site that they think are a slipping and tripping risk (remember that there will be about 40 cases of a slip or stumble, resulting in no or minor injury for every major injury accident).
Careful selection of materials, equipment and work practices can prevent or contain slip and trip hazards from liquids, fine powders and objects. For example, fitting anti slip floor materials and splash guards in areas where fluids are in common use and using cordless tools prevents trips on cables.These all reduce the risks.
Organisation - Workers need to be involved and committed to reducing risks. Give people (eg supervisors) responsibilities to ensure that areas of the workplace are kept safe, eg getting spillages and objects cleaned up quickly, keeping access routes clear and ensuring lighting is maintained. Keep a record of who is responsible for which arrangements; take special care to include cleaning and other contractors. Make these details clear to everyone.
Control - Check to ensure that working practices and processes are being carried out properly, eg smooth floors are not left wet, housekeeping is good, and any leaks from equipment and roof lights are repaired quickly. Keep a record of cleaning and maintenance work etc and encourage good health and safety.
Supervise and review - Keep an eye on accident investigation and inspection reports. Identify any problems in your management systems. Do they show any improvement? Talk to any safety representatives about slip and trip risks - they can be a great help when identifying and solving problems.
Employees should also be encouraged to be involved in reexamining present control measures. They are often better placed to evaluate the effectiveness of the steps implemented to cut the hazards of slipping and tripping.
Containing fluid leaks from machinery, drums and other sources before they reach walkways is also important. Absorbent socks can be placed around the bottoms of machinery or containers to check spills before they reach walkways. Barreltop mats can be used on drum tops to keep leakages from going down the sides of barrels. Modular spill decks are great option for containing larger leaks that are common in material dispensing and waste collection areas. Anti-slip mats with drainage holes also keep work areas safe and drier by preventing workers from standing in wet areas.
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