Slough Borough Council

Accidents in the Workplace

Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work. They are a particular problem for the retail industry.

In the premises that we inspect, they account for:

• over 40% of all reported major injuries (35% of which occurred in shops)
• 23% of injuries where employees are off work for more than 3 days
• 3 fatalities per year
• 59% of all reported accidents to members of the public

This means that there is one slip or trip accident in the UK every three minutes!

Accidents have a financial cost too. It's estimated that slips and trips alone contribute to:

• £512 million cost to employers per year
• £133 million cost to health service per year
• Great human cost due to long-term disabilities and illnesses

As a result of these alarming figures, along with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) we have made reducing these accidents a key priority.

The council has produced a document that provides information on reducing slips, trips and falls in the workplace. Produced primarily for the benefit of architects and designers, it aims to:

• advise on safe floor and building design
• inform on measures to minimise the risk of slip, trip and fall incidents
• encourage partnership working to reduce risk of injury

Reducing slips, trips and falls in the workplace - a guide for architects and designers [ PDF ]

 

More Information

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Causes of Accidents
• What You Can Do
• What You Must Do
• Useful Links

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