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37

Slips,trips and falls

This is an excerpt from the TUC book "Hazards at Work: Organising for safe and healthy workplaces", the best-selling guide to health and safety at work. To buy a copy order here(if you are a safety representative on a TUC training course please speak to your tutor about getting a discounted copy).

BASIC FACTS ABOUT SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS

Slips and trips

Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work. They occur in almost all workplaces, 95 per cent of major slips result in broken bones and they can also be the initial causes for a range of other accident types.

According to the HSE, on average, slips and trips:

  • are 33 per cent of all reported major injuries
  • are 20 per cent of injuries of more than three days to employees
  • cause two fatalities per year
  • are 50 per cent of all reported accidents to members of the public
  • cost £512 million to employers per year
  • cost £133 million to the health service per year
  • cause incalculable human costs

A TUC survey of safety representatives on slips and trips identified:

  • slips and trips are a major problem in 84 per cent of the workplaces surveyed
  • in just one year there were nearly 15,000 slipping and tripping incidents in the workplaces covered by the survey – over 400 of which resulted in broken bones or other major injury
  • nearly half (44 per cent) of the incidents reported by safety representatives were in the health sector, with 16 per cent in public administration and there were four times as many injuries in the average health sector workplace as in workplaces generally
  • slips are also a problem for members of the public (30 per cent of safety representatives reported a problem), and in the leisure services industry they are just as likely as employees to have an accident
  • substances on the floor (43 per cent) and obstructions (31 per cent) are the main causes of slips and trips
  • most slips and trips occur on stairs and steps (29 per cent), followed by the shop floor (28 per cent) and outside (27 per cent)

Slips and trips accidents account for the highest number of major injuries and occur across all industry sectors. As a result, the HSE initiated a national campaign on slips and falls, ‘Watch your step’. A more focused follow-up took place in the education and construction sectors, and on falls from vehicles. The HSE’s current project is ‘Shattered Lives’, and this includes a free interactive learning package called STEP, that provides practical guidance to help tackle slips, trips and falls. www.hse.gov.uk/slips/step See the Campaigns archive at www.hse.gov.uk/slips/campaigns.htm and www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives/index.htm for the current project.

Falls from a height

According to the HSE, 46 people died in 2005/06 and 3,351 suffered a major injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace. The HSE Falls From Height web page identifies that falls from height occur throughout industry.

In January 2007, the HSE identified some of the major facts about falls from a height in their topic inspection pack Falls from Height [pdf] Key points include:

  • falling from a height continues to be the most common kind of fatal injury to workers, accounting for 22 per cent of fatalities in 2005/06
  • over 50 per cent of fatal injuries were in construction
  • 66 per cent of major injuries due to falling from a height were as a result of falling from below head height
  • the main cause of all injuries from falling from a height is people falling from ladders

LEGAL AND OTHER STANDARDS FOR PREVENTION AND CONTROL

There are a number of laws that apply to slips, trips and falls. See the following chapters of this book:

  • SRSC Regulations 1977 – Chapter 3, with reference to safety representatives’ rights and
    consultation
  • Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – Chapter 12, dealing with the general duties of employers and employees under Sections 2–9. Generally, the employer has a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – Chapter 13, with the obligations placed upon employers to make suitable and sufficient assessments of risks to their employees. They must also make arrangements for the health and safety of employees by effective planning, organisation, control, monitoring and review
  • Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 – Chapter 49, where employers must notify their enforcing authority in the event of an accident at work to any employee resulting in death, major injury or incapacity for normal work for three or more days

THE MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999

Employers should conduct a risk assessment for slips and trips if there appears to be a risk to workers. The main causes must then be treated in the same way as any other workplace hazard by the implementation of protective and preventive measures. Provisions in the 1999 Regulations that are important include:

  • making a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks
  • identifying measures needed to comply with legal requirements
  • reviewing the risk assessment
  • recording the assessment where there are five or more employees
  • implementing preventive and protective measures on the basis of: avoiding risks; evaluating the risks which cannot be avoided; combating the risks at source; adapting the work to the individual; adapting to technical progress; replacing the dangerous by the non-dangerous or less dangerous; developing a coherent overall prevention policy which covers technology, organisation of work, working conditions, social relationships and the influence of factors relating to the working environment; giving collective protective measures priority over individual protective measures; giving appropriate instructions to employees

WORKPLACE (HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE) REGULATIONS 1992

Regulation 12 states that every floor and the surface of every traffic route in a workplace:

  • must be suitable for the purpose
  • should not expose persons to risks by having holes (unless there are adequate measures to prevent falling) or slopes (account should be taken of handrails) or being uneven or slippery
  • should have effective means of drainage
  • so far as is reasonably practicable, be kept free from obstructions and articles and substances
    likely to cause slips, trips or falls

Handrails and, if appropriate, guards must be provided on traffic routes which are staircases, except where a handrail would obstruct the traffic route.

Paragraphs 89–100 of the Approved Code of Practice to the Regulations require that:

  • surfaces of floors and traffic routes should be of sound construction, have adequate strength and stability, and not be overloaded
  • surfaces of floors and traffic routes should be free from any hole, slope or uneven or slippery surface which is likely to cause a person to slip, trip or fall; cause a person to drop or lose control of anything being lifted or carried; cause instability or loss of control of vehicles and/or their loads
  • holes, bumps or uneven areas should be made good, with account taken of people with impaired or no sight
  • slopes should not be steeper than necessary
  • moderate and steep slopes, and ramps used by people with disabilities, should be provided with a secure handrail where necessary
  • surfaces of floors and traffic routes which are likely to get wet or to be subject to spillages should be of a type which do not become unduly slippery. Slip resistant coating should be applied where necessary
  • processes or plant which may discharge or leak liquids should be enclosed, and leaks from taps or discharge points should be caught or drained away
  • where a leak or spillage occurs and it is likely to be a slipping hazard, immediate steps should be taken to fence it off, mop it up, or cover it with absorbent granules
  • arrangements should be taken to minimise the risks from snow or ice
  • floors and traffic routes should be kept free of obstructions which might present a hazard or impede access
  • effective drainage should be provided where a floor is liable to get wet
  • every open side of a staircase should be securely fenced. As a minimum the fencing should consist of an upper rail at 900 mm or higher and a lower rail
  • a secure and substantial handrail should be provided and maintained on at least one side of every staircase
  • handrails should be provided on both sides of a staircase if there is a particular risk of falling, and additional handrails should be provided down the centre of particularly wide staircases

WORK AT HEIGHT REGULATIONS 2005

These Regulations came into force in April 2005 and implemented European Council Directive 2001/45/EC concerning minimum safety and health requirements for the use of equipment for work at height (the Temporary Work at Height Directive, or TWAHD). They replace all the earlier regulations about working at height.

It is important that in identifying the measures required to avoid risks from work at height, every employer should take account of a risk assessment under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (referred to above). The Work at Height Regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, the self-employed, and any person that controls the work of others. The Regulations also:

  • impose duties relating to the organising and planning of work at height (Regulation 4)
  • require that persons at work be competent, or supervised by competent persons (Regulation 5)
  • prescribe steps to be taken to avoid risk from work at height (Regulation 6 and Schedule 1)
  • impose duties relating to the selection of work equipment (Regulation 7)
  • impose duties in relation to particular work equipment (Regulation 8 and Schedules 2 to 6)
  • impose duties for the avoidance of risks from fragile surfaces, falling objects and danger areas (Regulations 9 to 11)
  • require the inspection of certain work equipment and of places of work at height (Regulations 12 and 13 and Schedule 7)
  • impose duties on persons at work (Regulation 14)

WORK AT HEIGHT (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2007

The Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007 came into force on 6 April 2007. The Regulations apply to those who work at height providing instruction or leadership to one or more people engaged in caving or climbing by way of sport, recreation, team building or similar activities in Great Britain.

HSE summary of the Work at Height Regulations

The HSE has produced a summary on the two sets of Work at Height Regulations In addition, a more detailed guide to the Work at Height Regulations 2005, as amended by the 2007 Regulations, [pdf]

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 came into force on 6 April 2005. The Regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury. They place duties on employers, the self-employed, and any person that controls the work of others (for example facilities managers or building owners who may contract others to work at height).

As part of the Regulations, duty holders must ensure:

  • all work at height is properly planned and organised
  • those involved in work at height are competent
  • the risks from work at height are assessed and appropriate work equipment is selected and used
  • the risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled and
  • equipment for work at height is properly inspected and maintained

There is a simple hierarchy for managing and selecting equipment for work at height. Duty holders must:

  • avoid work at height where they can
  • use work equipment or other measures to prevent falls where they cannot avoid working at height and
  • where they cannot eliminate the risk of a fall, use work equipment or other measures to minimise the distance and consequences of a fall should one occur

The Regulations include schedules giving requirements for existing places of work and means of access for work at height, collective fall prevention (eg guardrails and working platforms), collective fall arrest (e.g. nets, airbags etc.), personal fall protection (e.g. work restraints, fall arrest and rope access) and ladders.

The full Work at Height Regulations 2005 can be viewed on the Office of Public Sector Information website and the Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007

The HSE has produced new guidance to take account of the Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007: The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended): a Brief Guide (INDG401) [pdf]


WHAT CAN SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES DO?

There are a number of positive steps that safety representatives can take to raise awareness and tackle slips, trips and falls in the workplace.

Membership awareness

Use posters and leaflets to bring up the issue of slips, trips and falls with members, and take the opportunity of discussing slips, trips and falls with them to see if they think that there are any
problems. Safety representatives should report their concerns and those of their members to management in writing. Use Chapter 7 above for ideas on how you can make sure that management gets things done.

Surveys and inspections

Safety representatives could conduct a survey to find out whether slips, trips and falls are a problem in the workplace. Safety representatives can use their routine inspections or undertake special inspections to speak to members about slips, trips and falls and examine accident statistics.

Slips and trips mapping tool

Use the HSE Slips and Trips Mapping Tool for safety representatives [pdf] USDAW gave permission for its own slips and trips mapping tool to be developed by HSE for wider dissemination. The tool will help to involve members and develop control measures.

Risk assessment

Safety representatives should ask their employers for a copy of risk assessments relating to work at height, if work at height cannot be avoided. Risk assessments should be conducted under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and to comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended), and safety representatives should be consulted. Ask your employer to carry out risk assessments if they have not already done so.

Slips, trips and falls policy and procedure

Safety representatives should urge their employer to have procedures in place to prevent slips, trips and falls at work. Establish whether the employer already has a policy and procedure for tackling slips, trips and falls. If not, take steps to negotiate a policy with management. Commitments are required from employers which should include:

  • full consultation with trade union health and safety representatives
  • thorough risk assessments with a commitment to eliminate the hazards
  • the use of HSE guidance on slips and trips [pdf]
  • the use of HSE guidance on falls from height [pdf]
  • safe systems of working
  • information, instruction and training

FURTHER INFORMATION (in alphabetical order)

Hazards magazine website

  • Excellent news and resources on the Hazards web resource page at www.hazards.org

HSE falls from height website

HSE priced and free publications on slips and trips

  • For all the latest documents containing general standards and guidance on slips and trips, go to the HSE web page
  • Alternatively, obtain a free copy of the latest HSE Books catalogue, CAT 34, by telephoning 01787 881 165

HSE slips and trips website

HSE slips assessment tool

London Hazards Centre (see Section 6.2 for contact details)

Working at Height (the new regulations)

Office of Public Sector Information

Website with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the new Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007

TUC (see Section 6.1 for contact details)

Trade union information

This page http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace/slips_trips_and_falls.cfm
printed 10 February 2012 at 04:30 hrs by 38.107.179.233