Slips and trips:Summary guidance for the food industry

(Series:HSE Information Sheet; Food Sheet No 6)

Contents

Why it is important to tackle slips and trips risks

Slips and trips risks are especially important in the food industry because:

  • they occur four times more often than the average for the industry, and are the main reason for the relatively high overall injury rate in the food industry:
  • they are the largest cause of serious injury (32%)in the industry, there is a high rate in all sectors:
  • the potential losses could be significant, including costs (estimated at £22 million annually to employers in food, drink, and tobacco); loss of key staff: liability (compensation, legal costs, insurance premiums and enforcement action) and individual suffering and disability.

Positively managing the implementation of a comprehensive programme of measures is likely to be cost effective: successful initiatives have reduced injuries by upwards of 66%. Slips and trip injuries can be prevented in the food industry: they are not inevitable.

Understanding how slips and trips risks can be controlled

Slips account for about 86% of the total of slips and trips injuries. In 90% of cases they happen because the floor is wet.

Table 1

shows how to keep floors dry. If that is not possible to do that, the floor has to be sufficiently rough, and the environment, task and footwear have to be suitable; individuals have to walk appropriately to the circumstances. high surface roughness is obtained from larger and sharper grains making up the floor surface.

Trips are caused in 75% of cases by obstructions and in 25% by uneven surfaces.

Table 2

indicates how to control trip risks.

Managing the control of slips and trips risks

  • What practical measures to take will vary in different situations.
  • You will need to assess each situation, identify what factors cause slips and trips and match practical control measures to these factors
  • You will need management arrangements to identify and implement the necessary package of control measures for each situation. the four steps to achieve this are listed below.
  • plan your overall arrangements to manage slips and trips risks. In most cases, the risks will justify setting these slips and trips arrangements out seperately and specifically within the overall safety policy document. Assess the risks and identify what more you need to do by looking at the tables. Get the committment and support of others, especially senior management;
  • organise so that staff know what to do; establish systems for inspection, maintainance, training and consultation with safety representatives:
  • control the risks by taking the measures you identify;
  • monitor your achievements, eg from accident information, inspections, audits and reports from employees and review your plan regularly.

Legal requirements

Although previous legislation had always required measures against slips and trips risks, recent Regulations have re-emphasised the importance of such measures and shown how to take them.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 specify the four steps required for effective risk control arrangements and employee duties, as well as training and consultation with safety representatives.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requirements for the construction of the floor surface to be suitable by not being 'slippery so as to expose any person to a risk to their safety' and for the floor to have 'effective drainage' are absolute. This duty can be met by preventing contamination rather than increasing the slip resistance to counteract it.

There are also duties on suppliers of equipment, floor surfaces, floor treatment substances and slip resistant shoes to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the inherent safety of their products and to provide information to users.

The Workplace Regulations also absolutely requires the floor construction to have 'no holes, or slope or be uneven so as to .... expose a person to a risk'; and so far as reasonably practicable to keep floors 'free of obstructions and from any article .... which may cause a person to ....trip' and 'waste materials shall not be allowed to accumulate ....except in suitable receptacles'.

Table 1Slips risks controls

CAUSATIVE FACTORS

PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR SLIPS RISK CONTROL

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

(a) Contamination of the floor eg. from:

  • spillages
  • wet cleaning methods
  • shoes
  • water and grease laden vapour (poor ventilation)
  • natural contamination such as wet, and or mud in outside areas
  • dry contamination, eg polythene bags left on floors, product spillages or cardboard laid over spills

(1)Eliminate contamination in the first place eg. maintain equipment to prevent leakage , enclose transfer systems, cover outside areas,use dry methods for cleaning floors

If not reasonably practicable:

(2) Prevent contamination becoming deposited on to walking surfaces eg by lids on portable vessels, lips around tables, bunds around equipment,drip trays under taps, cleaning incoming footwear,using effective extraction ventilation of fumes and steam with grease filtration

If not reasonably practicable: (3) Limit the effects of contamination

  • by immediate treatment of spillages
  • by safe cleaning methods, minimising and drying wet floors
  • by prompt repair of leaks
  • by limiting the area of contamination, eg. by the location of drainage channels

If there is still a risk:

(b)Inherent slip resistance of the floor not maintained adequately

eg. from incorrect or inadequate cleaning or maintenance or wear.

(4) Maximise the surface roughness and hence slip resistance of the existing floor surface

eg. follow an effective cleaning regime as indicated by the floor supplier. Find out from suppliers the correct cleaning regime to remove even thin layers of contamination and cleaning agent residue; and ensure the regime is repeated often enough and adhered to

  • Train, supervise and equip those who clean floors to ensure effective and safe cleaning. Frequent spot cleaning can supplement whole-floor cleaning
  • Maintain floors and drainage to maximise slip resistance

If this is not enough:

(c) The slip resistance of the floor is too low

This is influenced by:

  • surface roughness of the floor
  • the friction between the floor and shoe
  • the sharpness of the granular microsurface peaks
  • the shape and height of ridges in the floor surface if profiled
  • the drainage capacity of the floor
  • the hardness of the floor
  • incorrect installation of the floor

(5) Increase the surface roughness of the existing floor

eg. stick-on anti-slip strips, matting, treatments and abrading that increase slip resistance

If this is not enough:

(6) Lay a more slip resistanf floor with higher surface roughness

In a few cases a new floor may be needed:

  • Draw up a specification for the supplier to meet. Experience of how that floor performs in a similar situation will be the best guide
  • Select a floor with sufficient surface roughness. Floors with a rough surface, and, if appropriate, profiles to drain the wet away, are best for wet conditions
  • Provide effective drainage - profiles, channels etc
  • See the installation is correctly done
  • Check to see the specification has been met

(Note: research has shown rough floors can be cleaned to the same level of cleanliness as smooth floors and should not conflict with food hygiene requirements but you should recognise that meeting both safety and hygiene requirements might require more cleaning effort and special equipment) and:

(d) Steps and slopes: Do they cause sudden changes in step or not offer adequate foot hold and/or hand hold?

(7) See steps and slopes give adequate foot and hold and have no sudden changes

eg. remove sudden changes in levels and see steps have clearly visible nosings, good hand holds etc. and:

(e) Adverse conditions hiding the floor conditions and distracting attention

eg. low light levels

  • shadows
  • glare
  • excess noise
  • extreme temperature
  • bulky/awkward personal protective equipment

(8) See the prevailing conditions allow good visability of and concentration on floor conditions

eg. provide adequate lighting, and see environmental demands do not distract attention from the floor condition

and

ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS

(f) The nature of the task

eg. the need to carry, lift, push, lower or pull loads

  • the need to turn, to move quickly or to take long strides
  • distractions
  • having no hands free to hold on to break a fall

(g) Placing vulnerable individuals eg.

  • poor knowledge of risks and measures
  • poor health and agility
  • poor eyesight
  • fatigue

(h) Insufficient supervision

(i) Safety culture which is not supportive

(9) Analyse the tasks to see no more than careful walking is required in any slip risk area

Tasks should not compromise ability to walk safely. Tasks should be:

  • mechanised to avoid the need for pushing, lifting, carrying,pulling etc. while walking on a slippery floor
  • moved to safer areas
  • slowed so operators do not have to hurry

and:

(10) Allocate tasks in slips risks areas only to those competent to follow slips precautions

and:

(11) Supervise to monitor physical controls and to see safe practices are followed

and:

(12) Establish a positive attitude that slips risks can be controlled

and:

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT:SHOE FACTORS

(j)Shoes offer insufficient slip resistance in combination with the floor surface, because of

  • type of shoe
  • sole material
  • contamination of shoes
  • sole pattern
  • wear
  • fit
  • maintainance/renewal

and

(13) Select suitable shoes for the floor, environment and the individual

Base this on experience. Microcellular urethane and rubber shoes are the least slippery on level wet floors. Get employees to maintain the shoe soles in good repair and keep them free from contamination. Replace them before they have worn smooth

and:

INDIVIDUAL FACTORS

(k)Unsafe action from staff

eg. from lack of:

  • awareness of risk
  • knowledge of how slips occur
  • information and training or
  • distraction, carelessness

(14) Train, inform and supervise employees

eg. on the risk, the control arrangements and employees role(s) especially to:

  • clean as they go
  • report contamination
  • maintain footwear
  • walk appropriately to circumstances

(15) Set procedures for visitors

Table 2 Trips risks controls

CAUSATIVE FACTORS

PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR TRIPS RISK CONTROL

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

(a) Uneven surfaces

eg. gulleys, holes, steps

(b) Obstructions

eg. accumulation of articles such as work in progress, or waste

(c) Adverse environment

eg. inadequate illumination to see floor properly, or glare

(1) Eliminate holes, slopes or uneven surfaces which could cause trips risks

eg. inspect and maintain floors so they have a smooth finish and no holes so as to cause a tripping hazard. Highlight any changes in level and make slopes gradual and steps clearly visible, avoid open gulleys and channels

and

(2) Good Housekeeping

Eliminate Materials likely to obstruct and cause trips

eg. analyse work flows and design process so waste and product does not accumulate

or if this is not reasonably practicable

(b) Prevent material obstructing

eg. provide sufficient suitable receptacles for work in progress, correctly sited: mark out walkways, working areas and receptacle locations and make sure they are kept free of obstruction

and

(3) Provide suitable lighting to permit obstructions to be seen

and:

ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS

(d) The nature of the task creates obstructions

(e) Safety Culture which is not supportive

(4) Analyse the tasks and process flows to see if work can be handled so as to eliminate or minimise obstructions

and

(5) Establish a positive attitude that trips can be prevented

INDIVIDUAL FACTORS

(f) Safe practices not followed

and

(6)Train, inform and supervise employees

Further information

Further explanation and detail of the points made in this guidance is provided in HS(G)156Slips and trips:Guidance for the food processing industry. ISBN 0 7176 0832 8, available from HSE Books.

HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from: HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995

HSE priced publications are also available from good booksellers. For other enquiries ring HSE's InfoLine Tel: 0541 545500, or write to HSE's Information Centre, Broad Lane, Sheffield S3 7HQ

This information sheet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory but which you may find helpful in considering what you need to do

This information sheet sets out what industry representatives agree is acceptable practice in the food industry.

This publication may be freely reproduced except for advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes. The information it contains is current at 9/96. Please acknowledge the source as HSE

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