Page 1522 - Xmo Strata - Bulletin Archive
P. 1522
Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 565
27 April 2017
Slips, Trips & falls
Slips, trips and falls (STF’s) are the most common cause of major/specified injuries to employees, with
around 22,000 cases reported to the HSE every year (and many more unreported incidents). STF’s are
responsible for 57% of all major/specified injuries and 29% of over-seven-day injuries to employees.
Much of our work is carried out on construction sites, yet analysis of the hazards rarely includes one
that might cause a slip, trip or fall.
When you complete your clearance certificate, do you look for potential trip hazards and record that
you’ve noted it and what you plan to do to avoid it?
In most cases, there are common factors that relate to most slip, trip and fall accidents and they include
an obstacle, a person that is distracted and in many cases someone that is rushing. If you eliminate the
obstacle, aren’t distracted and don’t rush, almost all STF incidents would be eliminated.
It may seem very simple, but 22,000 people are injured each year unnecessarily because they don’t
recognise the danger of simply walking form one place to another. Please remember to assess where
you are walking, always conduct a Last Minute Risk Assessment and keep your eyes on the task and
concentrate on what you are doing.
