Slips and trips in offices
Main project – Slips, Trips & Cleaning
Other – Stop Slips in Kitchens; Slips, Trips, Falls and Building & Plant maintenance
Aim
To reduce the number of major injury slip and trip accidents happening within offices by raising awareness and improving management of slips and trips. To provide advice on practical control measures and take enforcement action where appropriate.
Justification
Despite the perception that offices are not dangerous places, every year between 250 and 300 office workers receive a major injury because of a slip or trip. Reducing accidents would not only be beneficial to those working within offices but would also contribute toward meeting slip and trip targets.
Audience/industry
Slips and trips can happen anywhere inside or outside of a building and can be linked to adverse weather, cleaning, building/grounds maintenance and housekeeping. If the office has a restaurant making food, look out for slip hazards in the kitchen/restaurant area. Catering assistants, chefs, waiters and bar staff will be most at risk.
Messages
- Kitchens - Everyone has a part to play when it comes to stopping slips. Chefs, managers and business owners need to set up effective systems for preventing slips and trips and 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. Cleaning companies need to adhere to the correct cleaning regimes and ensure 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 machinery.
Activities Required
- Kitchens - alert relevant dutyholders to the stop slips in kitchens initiative and key messages, throughout the year; distribute information packs to local businesses; conduct targeted inspections and hold awareness raising events where possible.
- Cleaning - investigate and secure improvements at companies where cleaning takes place and where slips and trips are identified as a matter of evident concern.
- 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
All year.
For information
Detailed guidance on inspections:
For more information and resources visit the HSE website
