Slips, trips and falls

Overview

Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of accidents and incidents at the University, accounting for around 30% of all reported accidents and incidents.

Slips, trips and falls are commonly caused by:

  • slippery or wet floors, both inside and outside of buildings
  • uneven or poorly maintained surfaces
  • spills and contaminants
  • unsuitable footwear
  • inattention (e.g. use of mobile phones, iPads, MP3 players)
  • sloping surfaces, such as ramps and paths on campus
  • obstructed walkways
  • rushing to appointments / lectures or to catch transport
  • carrying heavy loads (e.g. piles of books) or items that block your view of path or stairs
  • using equipment inappropriately
  • low visibility caused by inadequate lighting around paths and in stairways

Responsibilities

All staff have a responsibility to:

  • report any potential hazards using HIRO,
  • clean up spills and signpost wet areas (contact Central Services - ext 1013 - for large spills, after hours contact Security to signpost wet areas),
  • stow items away safely,
  • keep cupboard doors and drawers closed when not in use,
  • wear suitable footwear.
     

Managers or supervisors

In addition, managers or supervisors have a responsibility to:

  • inspect working and walking areas to identify environmental and equipment hazards that could cause slips, trips and falls,
  • implement immediate corrective action such as procedural or product changes as required,
  • thoroughly investigate all incidents and review how to prevent them in the future, and
  • discuss condition of flooring with staff and consider if changes need to be made.

Prevention

Staff and students can take a number of simple actions that can help avoid slip, trip or fall injuries:

PROBLEM EXAMPLES OF CONTROL ACTIONS THAT CAN BE TAKEN
Inattention
  • Expect the unexpected.
  • Focus on where you're going, what you're doing, and what lies ahead.
  • Avoid reading or sending messages on your phone whilst walking – especially on stairs.
  • Be constantly alert for - and remove or go around - obstructions in your path.
Spillage of wet or dry substances
  • Know your workplace procedures for cleaning up spills.
  • Where it is appropriate, clean up spills immediately.
  • Use warning signs to alert people to surfaces that are wet following recent cleaning or spills.
  • Make sure there is easy access to equipment and materials for cleaning up spills. Use absorbent materials for cleaning up spills. The material used should not leave a residue.
  • Transport and carry substances in appropriate containers to avoid spills. Use lids or covers where necessary.
Floor coverings
  • Check that all floor surfaces are properly maintained and, if necessary, arrange to be replaced / repaired or covered with non-slip material.*
  • Ensure that the flooring in a workplace is suitable for the type of work activity that will be taking place on it.
Inadequate footwear
  • Wear the most appropriate footwear for the job and work environment.
  • Footwear should be fitted properly and in good repair,
  • Ideally, footwear should have enclosed toes, be flat, with a sensible heel, with the sole and heel made in a softer material that provides good grip.
Weather
  • Before entering a building, wipe your shoes on available mats and shake off wet clothing or umbrellas.
  • Use storage where wet items can be placed, such as bins for wet umbrellas.
Poor lighting
  • Report any burned out lights or inadequate lighting to Maintenance. *
Plant and equipment
  • Carry out regular maintenance and inspection of production machinery for signs of leaks. Prevent machines spraying out liquids by adjusting or enclosing the machine.
  • Avoid the use of extension cords where possible by installing extra power points, using wireless or battery-powered technology and tools.
  • Carry out regular site clean-ups to remove rubbish.
  • When moving materials by hand or by trolleys that are pushed, make sure materials are not stacked so high that the view of the floor ahead is obscured.
Poor housekeeping
  • Keep your workplace tidy, keep walkways clear.
  • Avoid trailing electrical leads or cables.
  • Make sure objects don’t create a trip hazard.
  • Ensure that floors, walkways, stairs and storage areas are free of obstruction.
Rubbish
  • Ensure paper, food, packaging, and other rubbish is removed and that bins don’t overflow.
Rushing
  • Walk, don't run. Never run up or down stairs or take more than one step at a time.
  • Avoid rushing to appointments/lectures or to catch transport.
  • Leave time to arrive at your appointment to reduce rushing or taking short cuts.
  • Report workload problems to your supervisor.
Stairs
  • Don't use stairways for storage.
  • Use handrails provided when ascending / descending down stairs.
  • Provide clear visual cues for the start and finish of the stairs, ample lighting above the stairs, and a good tread pattern that does not distract from perceiving the edge of each individual step. *
  • Report any damaged steps, treads or handrails.
  • Get help if you are carrying something up or down stairs.
Ramps
  • If ramps are too steep or surface finish slippery, report the problem. *
Outdoors Surfaces / Vegetation
  • Be aware of problems in outdoors areas, such as wet or uneven surfaces, potholes, rocks, rubble and other obstacles.
  • Take appropriate action to address the problem such as arranging maintenance, repairing damaged surfaces or using cleaning agents.
  • Report paths that are slippery due to vegetation such as moss, tree roots, leaf litter, fallen fruit or seed pods.
Carrying items and moving loads
  • Carry items so that you can clearly see where you have to go.
  • Don’t carry loads that are too heavy.
  • Make sure there are no protruding items likely to cause a problem, such as dangling cords.
  • Use mechanical aids or team lifting where appropriate.
  • Be aware of safe manual handling guidelines.
Chairs
  • Sit in chairs with all four chair legs on the floor.
  • Make sure all wheels or castors are on the floor and broken chairs are replaced.
  • Check the position of office chairs before you sit on them.
Lifts
  • Look down and check the lift car has aligned evenly to the floor.
  • Report lift issues such as floor non-alignment to maintenance immediately. *
Ladders
  • Use ladders in accordance with the manufacturer’s information on safe use.
  • Report damaged ladders to your supervisor.

Be sure to report any problems that require repair or maintenance of buildings or grounds (marked with *) by lodging a Maintenance Request to Facilities Management.

Resources

Safe Work Australia

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.