What You Must Do
All health and safety legislation falls under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The control of slips and trips fall under two main regulations:
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
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These regulations include the following statutory duties for all employers and people who own and manage buildings to:
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- Provide and maintain a workplace that is safe and minimise risk of injury
- Assess the risks (including slips and trips risks) to employees and others who may be affected by work or business activities, for example, members of the public or others who enter into their building
- Implement necessary controls, identified by the risk assessment, to safeguard employees and others
- Record the significant findings of the risk assessment and identify those employees and other persons at risk
- Provide those at risk with comprehensible information on the risks that they may be exposed to and the control measures in place that they are required to follow
For further advice on how to carry out a risk assessment see our useful links page.
Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992
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These regulations include the following statutory duties for all employers and people who own and manage buildings to:
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- So far as reasonably practicable, keep floors and traffic routes free from obstructions and substances likely to cause a person to slip, trip and fall
- Provide staircases with suitable and sufficient handrails
- Prevent the accumulation of waste materials, except in suitable receptacles
- Take immediate steps to treat all leaks or spillages that are likely to cause a slipping hazard
If you are in any doubt about your duties or you would like further advice, seek advice from a competent person, eg, a health and safety officer or consultant.
