Slips at work

Thousands of people are injured each year through slipping whilst at work. Watching a work colleague slip may seem funny when it happens but the injuries some of these slips cause can be quite severe and painful for the individual concerned.

Flooring in a workplace needs to be suitable for the work activity being done there. Workers should be able to walk around the workplace without fearing they may slip at any time. Wet floors that have just been cleaned are responsible for many accidents at work. Preferably cleaning of floors should be done outside of working hours. When this is not possible the area being cleaned should be cordoned off and be dried immediately after cleaning.

It is the responsibility of your employer to ensure spillages are cleaned up immediately. Also, if the weather is really bad and there is a lot of rainwater coming in on the footwear of staff, or from wet umbrellas employers have a duty to ensure wet floors are dried in order to prevent an accident.

Leakages or drips should be repaired as soon as possible and the area should be marked in the meantime advising staff to avoid until the repair has been completed.

It isn’t just inside the workplace that slips can happen. In winter months, especially when there is snow and ice many accidents happen in business car parks. It is your employer’s responsibility to ensure that entrances and parking areas for their business are cleared of ice. In situations of extreme weather conditions it would have usually been forecasted so employers should look at preventative measures such as gritting outside.

If you have suffered an injury through a slip at work that could have been prevented you may be able to claim compensation.

Call a member of our team who will be able to advise you. Tel 0844 704 1945, or alternatively complete the online enquiry form and we will call you back.