Slips and Trips at Work - HSE 'Watch Your Step' Campaign

Friday, 4th November 2005

Falling over at work can often be seen as funny but it is not so funny when someone gets hurt. If we look at some of the facts and statistics surrounding the consequences of slips and trips in the workplace, falling over at work becomes a whole lot less amusing.

On average, slips and trips at work cost employers £512 million per year and £133 million per year to the health service
Slipping and tripping accidents accounted for 37% of major injuries in 2003/2004 and 95% of major slips result in broken bones
There is one slip/trip in the workplace every 3 minutes
Slips and Trips are amongst the most common causes of injury to staff, visitors and clients in the care sector
Many injuries will be minor bruises but more serious injuries such as cuts to the head or broken bones can often occur
Slips and Trips in the workplace result in two fatalities every year

The HSE 'Watch Your Step' Campaign was launched this month and focuses on raising awareness of the causes of slip and trip accidents at work and the financial and personal costs. They are offering guidance to employers about what steps they can take to make the workplace safer and to employees about how they can become actively involved in accident prevention.

EDGE services already play an active role in accident awareness and prevention in the workplace with our 'Health, Safety and General Risk Assessment for the Care Profession' course. This course gives delegates practical experience of and guidance on, conducting General Risk Assessments as well as providing a broad coverage of relevant legislation and employer/employee responsibilities. Attending this course can help you to ensure a safer working environment for all staff within your organisation. Contact us or visit the course page for further details.

For further information on the HSE ‘Watch Your Step’ initiative and to download your free 'Watch Your Step' campaign poster visit their website at www.hse.gov.uk