Slips and Trips

Watch Your Step Campaign

Slips and trips are often seen as a joke however in reality nothing could be further from the truth.

The Health and Safety Executive and local authorities continue to focus on reducing the incidence of slips and trips at work; the most common cause of major injuries at work. They occur in almost all workplaces, 95% of major slips result in broken bones and they can also be the initial causes for a range of other accident types such as falls from height.

Key messages about slips and trips

• slips and trips are serious
• simple cost effective measures can reduce these accidents

Statistically on average

• 33% of all reported major injuries
• 20% of over-3-day injuries to employees
• 2 fatalities per year
• 50% of all reported accidents to members of the public
• cost to employers £512 million per year
• cost to health service £133 million per year
• incalculable human cost

Employers and employees can find out more information on this topic in the "Watch Your Step" newsletter.

Full details are available on the HSE's Watch Your Step and Preventing Slips pages.

This page was last updated on 3 October 2009