Open Government Status

Fully open

Author Unit

Policy group – Injuries Reduction Strategic Programme

Target audience

FOD Inspectors

Aim

To reduce the number of slips and trips accidents across UK workplaces, especially in those sectors targeted in the Shattered Lives publicity campaign, by raising awareness and improving management of slips and trips risks. To provide advice on practical control measures and take enforcement action where appropriate.

Justification

Slips and trips have caused the highest number of major injuries in UK workplaces for many years.  Despite this topic being a priority for HSE and LAs in recent years, and much awareness raising via events, the HSE website and publicity campaigns (eg Watch Your Step and the current Shattered Lives initiative), accident figures remain high.

In 2007/8 (p) slips and trips accounted for:

• 3 fatalities
• 10, 910 major accidents (39% of majors)
• 26,197 over-3-day accidents (24%)
• 7,273 accidents to members of the public (39%)

Costs to business are estimated to be over £500m.

Audience/industry

Slips and trips happen in all industry sectors but activity described below should be targeted at sectors with high numbers of slip and trip accidents, especially those prioritised in the Shattered Lives publicity campaign: Food Manufacturing; Health Services; Education; Food retail (LA enforced); and Hospitality and Catering (mainly LA enforced sector but information relating to kitchens will be useful to HSE inspectors, see Inspection guidance below).

See separate documents for inspector activity in Royal Mail and Care Homes.

Messages

Everyone has a part to play when it comes to stopping slips and trips. Managers, supervisors and workers via Trade Union or other employee representation need to set up effective systems for preventing slips and trips, and ensure workers are informed, trained and following these systems.

Activities required

Much awareness raising has taken place in the last few years, via roadshows and other events, an earlier publicity campaign (Watch Your Step), Shattered Lives (Phase 1) and generally via the HSE website. The emphasis in Phase 2 of Shattered Lives is a call to action.

Inspectors are asked to promote the use of the slips and trips e-learning package (STEP) which is freely available on the HSE website and should help businesses take action to manage slips and trips risks.

Inspectors should determine take-up of messages from ‘Shattered Lives’ and take enforcement action where compliance with standards is poor.

Timing

Throughout 2009/10 at planned inspections

Diversity

Inspectors should be aware of who (in terms of diversity e.g. men, women, those with disabilities etc) is the target group in the sector they are dealing with. Give consideration to, and factor into the approach, any issues that may be pertinent such as literacy issues and English as a second language etc.

The Diversity pages give more information on these areas.

Guidance and information sources

Inspection guidance

Topic inspection pack on slips and trips [393KB]

LAC 77/5 Slips and Trips in Catering and Hospitality – information for inspectors –
see Annex B for inspection and enforcement guidance

Other general guidance and information

STEP – slips and trips e-learning package
The package is freely available on the HSE website, it includes specific sector packages for food manufacturing, health services, education, catering and hospitality, as well as a general package. STEP provides 3 levels of information in each package, introductory, intermediate and advanced.

Slips Assessment Tool (SAT)

Preventing slips and trips in the workplace on HSE website

For other published guidance on slips and trips – Slips resource centre

Shattered Lives campaign webpage