Slips and trips an OHS and WHS issue for workplaces

West Australia’s Commission for Occupational Safety and Health has recently released a new online kit to help workplaces prevent slips and trips and meet their responsibilities under workplace safety legislation.

According to WorkSafe WA commissioner Lex McCulloch, almost a quarter (23.5%) of all lost time injuries suffered at work each year were caused by slips and trips.

“The number of slips and trips that occur each year represents a huge cost to employers, and better prevention strategies would significantly reduce this cost,”McCulloch said.

The kit includes material for a toolbox session, a practical guide to preventing slips and trips and four posters that can be printed from WorkSafe’s website and displayed in workplaces. The toolbox session material includes facts and statistics on slips and trips, along with suggestions on discussion topics for toolbox groups and a list of possible solutions the group may bring up.

The practical guide provides advice on minimising the risk of slips and trips in a workplace and, in the process, meeting responsibilities under the workplace safety legislation.

It explains how to identify slip and trip hazards and assess them, and suggests control measures that can be put into place.

“Slips and trips are a real concern in workplaces. Although a trip doesn’t sound like much, very serious injuries can result from a fall, especially if the person also strikes something,” said McCulloch

“I encourage everyone to make use of this new resource because slips and trips can happen in any workplace and can have serious consequences.”