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With nearly 11,000 people being seriously injured due to a slip, trip or a fall, companies have to do much more to protect their employees. Many health and safety managers simply go out a purchase work boots which say “slip-resistant” or “greater performance” so what do they actually mean, greater resistant to what? All safety boots are tested to a European standard which might not be attuned to your own particular workplace. When purchasing safety footwear try to explain to the sales person what type of slip hazards are present in your workplace. This could save someone’s life.

With the onset of winter many people have to take care especially travelling to, from and entering their work, there are three major factors that have to be considered:

• Rain water, according to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) most accidents happen due to people running into their workplace with wet shoes. Canopies placed outside the entrance with a good water absorbent carpet will prevent some of the accidents from happening. It is also an idea to try and prevent employees from walking across grass land as this becomes very slippery when wet, if it is in the workplace place barriers around grass and dirt and encourage employees to stick to pathways.
• Ice and snow, as we all know this can be a very dangerous, Health and Safety managers have to do a risk assessment of all driveways, pedestrian walkways and even shortcuts which include shaded and sloped areas and put a plan into action. Procedures have to put in place so that when the temperature falls below a certain point there are people that deposit sand and salt to these areas.
• Wet leaves, these can be as slippery as ice, they have to be swept off all walkways, if left on walkways they also hide any trip hazards that may be on the paths, and again procedures have to be put in place to remove all leaves from paths and driveways.

Employers have to try and eliminate the problems of slips, trips as far as possible this may include such things as ‘roughened’ floor surface, ‘slippery when wet signage’ and the use of matting throughout the areas affected by wet conditions. Good housekeeping is a must this will reduce the amount of employees suffering from slips, trips and falls.