1. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Welcome to an on-line
health and safety training package intended for staff and students working within UofE buildings on the Little France/Bioquarter campus
Information contained within these pages is intended for use by University of Edinburgh staff and students only.

2. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
This on-line training package is intended for workers based within University buildings on the Little France campus, but is not a substitute for practical training which may be organised by senior laboratory managers.
Last updated: November 2013

3. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Please take time to view the following material, and direct any urgent questions to your H&S Advisor, Supervisor/Manager, or the Little France Buildings H&S Manager (the contact details for whom are shown on the last page of this presentation).
Thank you

4. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
HSE reports that slips and trips are the most common of workplace hazards, and make up over a third of all major injuries in the workplace.
Something like 10,000 workers per annum, in the UK alone, suffer serious injuries because of a slip or trip.

5. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Approximately 95% of major slips result in broken bones.
One or two fatalities per year arise from slip/trip events.
Slip/trip injuries cost the UK’s health sector more than £100 million and UK employers more than £500 million per annum in lost production and other costs.

6. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Nevertheless:
Many people apparently don’t take
these risks seriously enough.
There is generally little understanding
of the causes of slipping.
Some seem to think that slips and
trips are simply inevitable.
And there is often a very poor
application of risk assessment and
management controls.

7. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Most slips occur in wet conditions, and most trips are due to poor housekeeping.
The solutions are often simple and cost effective, and a suitable assessment should be made of the risks.

8. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Risk assessment will help identify necessary controls, and should include consideration of:
Design of the workplace and work activities
Appropriate flooring and floor coverings
Suitable footwear for workers, etc
Prevention of contamination
Prompt and effective management of spillages
Maintenance of plant and the work environment
Good housekeeping and cleaning regimes
Effective training and supervision

9. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Flooring:
Floors must be well maintained to ensure
that there are no trip hazards e.g. holes,
uneven surfaces, curled-up carpet edges, etc.
Special considerations apply to slopes,
ramps, stairs, etc;
When a floor becomes unavoidably wet or
slippery, appropriate warning signage should
be displayed; and …
All spillages must be promptly, effectively
and safely managed.

10. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Footwear:
Flat shoes with a sensible heel, and with
soles and heels made of a material that
provides some grip, but which are not open-
toed, are sensible for work in most laboratory
environments.
For some work (e.g. moving and handling
compressed gas cylinders), consideration
should be given to a possible need for toecap
reinforcement.
But remember that footwear can perform
differently in different situations.

11. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Workplace:
Avoid introducing obstacles along
walkways, particularly when these are also
designated as escape routes.
Plan work to minimise the potential for
spillages onto the floor.
Consider also the trip hazard potential
associated with railing cable flexes, hose
runs etc, and run these under anti-trip guard
strips.

12. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Contamination:
Ensure easy access to spill management kits
for rapid clean-up.
Consider that contamination may also arise
from open windows, wet footwear, dripping
coats etc.
In any event, always use safe technique*. *

13. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Cleaning:
This is not just the job of cleaners; Everyone
has a role, especially if they’ve created a
potential for slip/trip injuries.
But the process of cleaning too can create a
potential for slip/trip (wet floors while
mopping, and trailing power cables
supplying floor buffers, etc).
A display of warning signage is likely to be
appropriate.
Special arrangements may be appropriate in
some areas.

14. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Top tips for cleaning:
Use the right amount of the right cleaning
product in the right places for the right
amount of time.
Cleaning equipment will only be effective if
it is well maintained.
Even a well-wrung mop will leave a film of
water sufficient enough to create a slip risk
hazard on a smooth floor surface.
Spot-clean where possible.
Display appropriate warning signage.

15. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Human factors:
People very often will just not notice that
cleaning is going on, and may even walk
around signage without seeming to see it.
Cleaners and others should not be reluctant
to call out to the seemingly oblivious, to
warn them of potential danger.
By the same token, cleaners will be generally
receptive to a request to avoid cleaning in a
specific area until it would be less
problematical for workers.

16. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
The STEP tool:
STEP is an e-Learning package developed by the Health & Safety Executive, providing slips and trips guidance through a programme of interactive learning.
It may be accessed at

17. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
Lindsay Murray
Health & Safety Manager,
The University of Edinburgh,
College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine
(Little France/Bioquarter Campus)
Room SU225, Chancellor’s Building
Ext: 26390

18. HEALTH & SAFETY @ LITTLE FRANCE
SLIPS AND TRIPS
You have now completed this
on-line training package, which aims to help prevent slip and trip injuries in and around University buildings on the Little France campus. Please also attend any practical training that may be organised by your supervisor or manager.
Thank you