The findings of an HSE-funded survey into practices within the UK road haulage sector relating to slip, trip and fall risk factors are now available.

Employers use a variety of control measures to reduce the risk of slips, but if a significant slip risk remains, introducing footwear with slip-resistant properties may be the only effective way they can further reduce the risk.

New figures released by the HSE reveal that 61 people died and more than 14,000 suffered serious injuries as a result of a slip, trip, or fall from height at work in Britain last year.

The owner of an indoor play centre in Bristol has been found guilty of multiple health and safety offences.

A bakery assistant slipped on a build-up of ice as she reached up to a shelf in a walk-in freezer at the Pembroke Dock store of supermarket giant Asda, sustaining back injuries that required a month off work.

High-street chain Claire’s Accessories has appeared in court after one of its employees tripped over stock stored on the stairs, sustaining severe head injuries.

Icy conditions are prevalent at this time of year, making winter gritting an issue for employers and premises owners. Alastair Kight explains what is required to fulfil your duty of care and prevent accidents in slippery conditions.

Thanks to the HSE’s Shattered Lives campaign, the financial, personal and business implications of slips, trips and falls are now firmly back in the spotlight. Stuart Thorne looks at the key issues that need to be addressed to prevent these major causes of workplace injuries, focusing particularly on the merits of safety footwear.

Global building solutions company CEMEX was a winner in the recent SHP Awards for its campaign to reduce the incidence of slips and trips among its delivery drivers, who make up more than 75 per cent of Cemex Logistics’ employees. Barry Flitton explains how the initiative saw the number of lost-time injuries due to slips and trips drop by more than 60 per cent.

A slip or trip incident is no laughing matter when it results in serious injury to the victim and a day in court, plus attendant costs, for the duty-holder, as these recent cases examined by Sarah Faulkner illustrate.

In 2005, the HSE approached the Prison Service with proposals to carry out an investigation into slips and trips to examine what could be done to reduce such accidents in prisons. Mary Guinness reports on some of the findings.

Slips and trips in public and commercial areas cost UK industry more than £500 million a year in compensation and legal fees. At this time of year, when snow and ice are making getting about even more hazardous, it is doubly important to keep such areas liquid and dirt-free.

CERAM has been accredited by the British Standards Institution to carry out on-site slip-resistance testing.

The TUC recently issued a new guide on appropriate footwear for the workplace. Entitled Working feet and footwear, it was produced in response to TUC findings that, while many employers do allow their workers to wear healthy and safe footwear, some big city institutions and upmarket retailers insist that female staff who deal with the public wear slip-on shoes, or heels as part of a dress code.

According to safety supplier Arco, effective slip prevention can halve the rate of injuries due to slip and trip incidents. Consequently, the company is now offering a surface testing service to its customers using the Health and Safety Executive’s SAT Site Assessment tool.

Totectors is returning to the market under new management after a short hiatus, and will be exhibiting a brand new range of safety footwear.

Blue slip-resistant Vynagrip matting from Plastic Extruders Ltd is being used in the production line of the new Mackies’ Crisps brand at Perthshire potato company, Taypack.

As the HSE’s Shattered Lives campaign continues, Grip Potential was on hand at Safety & Health Expo to provide assessment of companies’ slip risks.