Preventing slips, trips and falls

Video 4 of 15
2 min 35 sec
English
English
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There are three effective areas with the prevention of slips, trips and falls, which are management systems, contamination control and obstacle
removal. A good management system should involve good planning so that you can ensure the correct cleaning regime is chosen for all surfaces.
For example, unclean surfaces can pose a slip hazard, and cluttered walkways pose a trip risk. However, one that people often overlook is the technique used to clean the surfaces.

Some cleaning materials can make floors even more slippery, whilst others can even strip flooring of its special non-slip properties. It also includes the careful organisation of all staff to make sure that work carried out is done in a safe manner, there need to be effective controls to ensure that all work practices and processes are carried out correctly. Remember, a good management system also monitors and reviews systems to ensure they are working correctly.

Planning a good management system is just one part of it, you also need to make sure that the management system is actually put into place. As an employer, you must provide adequate training to all of your staff, as well as creating proper signage around anything of importance. As an employee, you must always follow your training to the best of your ability and make sure that you tell your employer immediately, should you find anything inadequate.

With contamination control, you should ensure that any contaminants are cleaned up effectively and smooth floors are not left wet without proper
signage. You should always use warning signs or cones effectively as if used incorrectly or not at all, the risk of an incident occurring is much higher. There are two main types of contaminant, liquids and solids. Liquids include water and oil, whereas solids may be food spills or dust.

The final system is obstacle removal. Using a simple, common-sense approach to good house-keeping will help to reduce the risk of an incident occurring. Keeping any work area free from materials or rubbish will reduce the risk of a slip or trip occurring. This can be done by anyone in any workplace, and if you cannot move an obstacle out of the way, either ask someone to help you, talk to your manager or put up proper warning signs to warn others of the obstruction. Remember that this can be done in any workplace, and if you are visiting another site and you see any potential hazards, don’t be afraid of pointing them out to someone in authority who works there.