The Health and Safety Executive reports that slips, trips and falls were the biggest causes of non-fatal injuries in the workplace in 2018/19. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers are responsible for employees’ safety at work. This means that you should have risk prevention measures in place to lessen the likelihood of these accidents.
To reduce the risk of accidents like slips, trips and falls:
- Make sure you have a written risk procedure for dealing with spills and other trip hazards, and ensure that employees are aware of its contents.
- Maintain good housekeeping practices. Ensure regular cleaning, emptying of bins, and removal of any other waste that could form a trip hazard.
- If you can’t make an area safe immediately, cordon it off until it has been dealt with. This means making the area an obvious no-go zone with tape or barriers and signage, not just blocking the way with a chair and hoping for the best!
- Carry out regular health and safety inspections, looking for any potential trip hazards so that they can be dealt with.
This isn’t just for the benefit of your employees, but for you as an employer. Hefty fines and compensation claims can be payable if you are found to have failed in your health and safety duties towards your employees. So make sure you follow the steps above to ensure a safe working environment and avoid any accidents.