Slip, trips and falls - are they accidents or avoidable business costs?

Slips trips and falls in the workplace are far too common, and far too costly. According to the Health and Safety Executive, slips and trips were responsible for 31% and falls from height accounted for 8% of non-fatal injuries to employees in 2018.

In 2016, it was estimated that over 1.5 million days were lost as a result of injuries from a slip, trip or fall causing a dramatic reduction in productivity and therefore reducing profits. This combined with the obligation for the company to pay the injured worker’s statutory sick pay will have a noticeable impact on profits.

It is also often the case that the absent worker will need to be covered for. This extra workload has the potential to lead to other employees being overworked, which could lead to further absence. Being overworked can lead to health problems such as lack of sleep, type 2 diabetes and even heart problems.

A drop in productivity is not the only avoidable potential cost to your business. Failure to comply with safety standards can and will result in fines. One business was recently fined £120,000 after a serious fall from a height, which would have been prevented if a thorough risk assessment had been carried out.

It’s not just accidents of a larger scale that are subject to fines; the presence of a trip hazard such as exposed wiring can warrant a fine of up to £1000, which could be devastating to a smaller business. One restaurant faced fines because of this, as it was described at “an accident waiting to happen” by inspectors.

Accidents like this are entirely avoidable. Last year, there were more fatal injuries from falls from height than from any other cause. One reason is that often people are far more aware of the more obvious dangers from machinery and other environmental factors. This highlights the need of a higher awareness of the causes of slips, trips and falls.

Costly accidents can often be avoidable, so it’s important to invest in proper training. Our CPD and IOSH approved Slips, Trips & Falls course only takes 30 minutes and will work towards your compliance with The Health and Safety at Work Act. It will also make sure you are able to understand and perform a risk assessment for slips, trips and fall, so you are not subjected to an avoidable business cost.

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This course goes hand in hand with our Working at Height training. Invest in your employees today.