Slips on Level Surfaces

Last December, Germany’s Federal Social Court, known as the Bundessozialgericht, ruled that a worker should be covered by his company’s insurance after a man suffered a fall whilst “commuting” to his home office – from his bedroom on the floor above... Now, of course other countries’ justice systems are different from ours. The decision is not binding in the UK, or any other country for that matter. And yet….I can’t help noticing how laws in one country sometimes have a habit of spreading to others… Our November 2019 blog looked at the risks – and fatal injuries – caused by falls from height, even low heights. Tesco supermarkets’ fine of £730,000 reminds us that people can suffer serious injury by simply falling to the ground at the same level. It has been my gloomy duty to investigate numerous lost-time injuries, including broken bones, where people have slipped or tripped on a level surface. I could cite you many instances of people tripping on something as innocuous as a small spill of coffee, food in a staff restaurant, rainwater droplets in Reception, builders’ dust on a marble staircase, soap on a washroom floor, minor unevenness, a slightly rucked carpet/tile, or even just a change in friction from carpet to wood. A nightshift worker admitted to me that he had been half asleep when he stumbled against a wash hand basin at around 3am, breaking a bone in his neck and necessitating a year’s absence. Other people have simply lost their footing and tripped up a perfectly adequate staircase.  

Why Is It So Easy to Fall?

You will understand that a cone or pyramid is a very stable structure, hard to tilt from its base. Invert the cone onto its tip however, and it becomes almost impossible to keep upright. Human beings are essentially built as upside-down cones with a high centre of gravity atop two highly articulated legs. As designers of robotic automatons have found, it takes considerable computing power for the brain to hold us upright and propel us around. That complex system of co-ordination is very easily upset, resulting in collapse. Often, we might throw out a hand to save ourselves, breaking bones in the wrist or transmitting shock up our arms to break the collar bone. You will see hospital A&E departments full of elderly people in the next few months, who have fractured limbs falling on snow and ice. The HSE regularly reports slips trips and falls as occupying the top place for non-fatal RIDDOR reportable accidents - typically around one third of the annual total:  

An Age-Old Problem

Early Factories Acts recognised the need for good housekeeping, and this has continued up until modern legislation. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require floors to be suitable, in good condition and free from obstructions. People should be able to move around safely. Even something as seemingly trivial as a spill of liquid will therefore leave you in breach of this law and yes, were I uncharitable, I might suspect that certain members of your staff or the public may well take advantage of the law to claim compensation. They have you over a barrel unless you can prove conclusively that there was nothing wrong with the floor. Even posting: “Caution, wet floor” signs is not a defence, as you have merely indicated to the world at large that the floor does not comply with legislation.  

Prevention

If you are in the happy position of creating a new building or refurbishment, your designers can take advantage of the latest advances in flooring technology. Additionally, look at what you already have – the law calls it a risk assessment. · Check regularly for any of the above-mentioned defects, but also look at your cleaning regime. · Is that cleaner who started last week diluting the right product in the right ratio of water at the correct temperature? (Sounds obvious, but therein lies a salutary tale for another day). · Whilst you may provide staff with non-slip safety shoes, are your floors safe for visitors in high heels or during family-fun days? · Above all, encourage staff to report defects as soon as they find them, and have a plan to rapidly deal with spills, repairs, etc. Reminding staff to hold the handrail can reduce staircase accidents.  

Further Information

· Health & Safety Executive Preventing Slips and Trips at Work - INDG225 · Health & Safety Executive Slips Assessment Tool · Health & Safety Executive Assessing the slip resistance of flooring · Health & Safety Executive Slips and Trips eLearning Package · Health & Safety Executive Stop Slips in Kitchens · Arinite Factsheet 0370 - Slips, Trips and Falls  

Contact Us

Arinite clients appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment. Our team of health and safety consultants takes pride in keeping health and safety simple. If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office on 0207 947 9581, or contact us here. Jan Mirkowski