Slips and trips in food retail
Main project – Shattered Lives - Slips, Trips & Falls from Height publicity campaign
Others – Slips, Trips & Cleaning; Slips, Trips, Falls and Building & Plant maintenance
Aim
To reduce the number of major injury slip and trip accidents within food retail by raising awareness and improving management of slips and trips. To provide advice on practical control measures and take enforcement action where appropriate.
Justification
998 slips and trips major injuries occurred in the retail sector in 2007/8(p), and 2449 over-3-day injuries, mostly in supermarkets and other stores that sell food eg butchers, bakers etc. It is in the top ten of the poorest performing industry sectors for slips and trips. If slips and trips at work are to be reduced and targets met, making improvements in this industry is important.
Audience/industry
Though thought to slips and trips is usually given in customer areas of the store, especially in supermarkets, employees who work behind counters remain at risk. Focus on food preparation areas, around and behind counters, at entrances and in store rooms. Where appropriate consider effective management of cleaning systems and building and plant maintenance to prevent slips and trips.
Messages
- Shattered Lives - Slips, Trips & Falls from Height publicity campaign – employers can stop slips; stopping slips will save companies money and protect their reputation.
- Food retail - Everyone has a part to play when it comes to stopping slips. Supervisors, local and regional managers and business owners need to set up effective systems for preventing slips and trips, then ensure staff are informed, trained and following those systems. Staff can make a big difference by adopting a ‘see it, sort it’ mentality.
- Cleaning – Cleaning is a key factor in the control of slips and trips. It can remove hazards but can also introduce them. Many slips occur on floors left wet after cleaning. Cleaning companies need to improve their cleaning regimes, ensuring cleaners are informed, trained and following those systems.
- Building and plant maintenance - Contractors, owners, facilities & maintenance managers can effectively reduce the risk of slips and trips due to maintenance issues in and around buildings and machines. Providing training and checking staff competency can help to ensure that everyone works safely at height.
Activities required
- Shattered Lives - Slips, Trips & Falls from height publicity campaign – conduct targeted inspections within the food retail sector to check awareness of campaign messages and action taken as a result. For large companies, check head office guidelines on preventing slips and trips, ensure guidelines are suitable and sufficient and are being followed by local managers and staff. For smaller companies ensure slips and trips are being assessed and that action taken is suitable and sufficient and being followed by staff. Use campaign material and stop slips in kitchens pack as aids.
- STEP – slips and trips e-learning package – encourage use of sector specific STEP package.
- Cleaning - At companies where cleaning takes place and where slips and trips are identified as a matter of evident concern investigate and secure improvements
- Building and plant maintenance – ensure the management of local maintenance activities is being undertaken with consideration being given to slip and trip issues. Check whether individuals have received adequate training for the tasks in hand.
Timing
Throughout 2009/10.
Diversity
Inspectors should be aware of who (in terms of diversity e.g. men, women, disabled etc) is the target group in the sector they are dealing with. Give consideration to, and factor into the approach, any issues that may surround this audience such as literacy issues, English as a second language and disability (access needs).
The Diversity pages give more information on these areas.
For information
Detailed guidance on inspections:
For more information and resources visit the HSE website
