Slips, Trips and Falls in Healthcare

In 2021 slips trips and falls (on the same level) accounted for 390 non-fatal healthcare incidents and was the second highest reported accident trigger in the Health and Social care Sector.

25% of reported incidents resulted in the person involved being absent from the workplace for over one month.

• Floor surface - it must be suitable for the work activity and kept in good condition.
• Floor contamination and obstacles - prevent contamination (wet floors, greasy floors, paper wrappings etc) and improve housekeeping and you will reduce if not eliminate the risk.
• Floor cleaning - stop pedestrian access to wet floors, spot clean where possible.
• Environmental aspects - ensure adequate lighting for walkways and level changes, good entrance design (e.g. canopies) can help.
• People - their behaviour and physical attributes can be influencing factors. A positive attitude to health and safety by all in the workplace will create a safer working environment. Taking account of physical disabilities such as poor vision, limited mobility etc in planning and design will help reduce the risk.
• Footwear - wearing suitable footwear for the environment and work activities will help reduce the risk.

• Have a system in place to manage health and safety
• Risk assess and identify high risk areas
• Consult with and involve staff
• Get the flooring right from the start, it must be suitable for the work activities
• Have a system in place to deal with spills without delay
• Encourage good housekeeping
• Encourage a 'see it sort it' mentality
• Clearly mark slopes and changes in level
• Review your cleaning procedures to ensure they do not contribute to slips and trips
• Provide slip resistant footwear where other controls are not adequate, trial footwear in the workplace to ensure it is effective.

• Co-operate with your employer to reduce the risk from slips and trips
• Report any health and safety risks to your employer/manager
• Deal with spills straight away
• Adopt and encourage good housekeeping practices
• Report any accidents or near misses
• Wear and take proper care of any safety footwear provided.

• Ensure articles provided for use at work are safe and comply with relevant standards
• Provide adequate information about the appropriate and safe use of articles at work