Slips, trips and falls

Slips, trips and falls are the main cause of accidents in the workplace that result in more than 3 days absence from work.

The main causes of slips, trips and falls includes:

• spills
• wet surfaces
• damaged flooring
• changes in level of floors
• slippery surfaces
• transition areas, for example, carpeted to tiled floor
• cables, mats and other floor obstructions
• overused warning or safety signs
• footwear
• inadequate or inappropriate lighting

Safety guidance to prevent slips, trips, and falls (PDF, 424.5KB)

Managers carrying out a risk assessment

You must ensure that slips, trips and falls are assessed as part of the risk assessment.

When carrying out the risk assessment, you should consider:

• the use of the premises
• the occupancy of the premises
• the services being supplied
• the activity that takes place

Related files

• Safety guidance to prevent slips, trips, and falls (PDF, 424 KB)
• Generic risk assessment form (Word, 33 KB, 2 pages)
• Generic risk assessment fillable form template (Word, 132 KB, 2 pages)