Footwear: Getting footwear right

Collection of lots of different types of shoes of boots

Footwear can play an important part in preventing slips, especially where floors can't be kept dry or clean.

Sensible footwear
Some footwear can increase the chance of a slip or trip happening. Choose shoes that fit well, have sensible heels and stay on the feet. Avoid certain footwear, such as open-toed shoes, sandals, flip-flops, high heels and smooth soles, etc. A sensible footwear policy can help workers avoid selecting inappropriate footwear.

If you have identified slips as a problem in your risk assessment, a sensible footwear policy alone will not be enough to stop slips happening.

Fact: Sensible footwear is not necessarily slip resistant footwear.

Case study: Dress code reduces risk of slipping
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