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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