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Slips, trips and falls

Overview

Slips, trips and falls are commonly caused by:

  • wet or slippery floors,
  • uneven or poorly maintained surfaces,
  • obstructed walkways,
  • using equipment inappropriately, and
  • inadequate lighting in stairways.

Responsibilities

All staff have a responsibility to:

  • clear up spills promptly,
  • properly mark wet areas,
  • stow items away safely,
  • keep cupboard doors and draws closed when not in use, and
  • wear suitable footwear.

Managers or supervisors

In addition, managers or supervisors have a responsibility to:

  • frequently inspect working and walking areas to identify environmental and equipment hazards that could cause slips, trips and falls,
  • implement immediate corrective action such as procedural or product changes as required,
  • thoroughly investigate all slips, trips and falls, with or without injury and review how to prevent them in the future, and
  • discuss floor safety with staff and consider procedural or product changes.

Prevention

To prevent slips, trips and falls:

  • ensure that the flooring in a workplace is suitable for the type of work activity that will be taking place on it,
  • ensure that floors, walkways, stairs and storage areas are free of obstruction,
  • check that all floor surfaces are properly maintained and, if necessary, covered with non-slip material,
  • clean liquid spills and other hazards from floors immediately,
  • maintain outdoor surfaces and keep free of potholes and other trip hazards,
  • avoid trailing electrical leads,
  • provide adequate lighting in all areas,
  • provide appropriate handrails in stairways,
  • maintain and use ladders in a safe manner, and
  • wear appropriate footwear:
    • footwear should be fitted properly and in good repair,
    • ideally, footwear should have enclosed toes, be flat, with a sensible heel, with the sole and heel made in a softer material that provides good grip,
    • the shoes should have tread pattern with leading edges in all directions to sweep away lubricant leaving dry contact, and
    • sole tread patterns should not become clogged with any waste or debris from the floor - clean off immediately.

Resources

Comcare (Australian Government)

WorkSafe (Department of Commerce, Western Australia)