Employers are being urged to take action to prevent slips trips and falls in the workplace, as part of the second phase of the Shattered Lives campaign, launched by the Health and Safety Executive this week.
A total of 61 people died and more than 14,000 suffered serious injury as a result of a slip, trip or fall from height in UK workplaces last year.
To help firms, the HSE has launched STEP - a free interactive learning tool that offers guidance on tackling slips, trips and falls in the workplace. It can be accessed
here
Marcia Davies, HSE Head of the Injury Reduction orogramme said “People often view slips, trips and falls as trivial incidents, even comical but they are no joke to those who suffer major injuries, a lifetime of disability, time off work and in the worst cases death'.
She said: “We want to raise awareness of how these incidents can happen and how they can be easily avoided by taking common sense actions and precautions at no or little cost. If you spot a hazard in your workplace deal with it, don’t assume that somebody else will'.
Fatalities and serious injuries arising from slips, trips and fall incidents cost British society an estimated £700 million last year.
The campaign is targeted at seven sectors where such injuries are prevalent including the construction and building and plant maintenance sectors.
Davies added: “The lives of workers and their families are shattered by the serious consequences of these types of accidents. Simple measures introduced by businesses can make a positive difference to safety in the workplace.”