Let’s be honest: when health and safety professionals start talking about “slips, trips, and falls,” it’s easy for people to tune out. It sounds basic. We immediately picture someone slipping on a wet floor sign or tripping over a stray laptop cable.
But at a recent Health and Safety Authority (HSA) conference, Eamonn O’Sullivan delivered a presentation on “Slips, Trips, and Falls in Small Businesses” that completely flipped the script. He showed that these incidents aren’t just about random clumsiness; they are often an issue of pure geometry and hidden risks.
To prove it, let’s look at a fascinating statistic he shared about a hazard you walk all over every single day: stairs.
The Mathematics of a Misstep
Take the average male shoe, which is roughly 290mm long. Now, look at the “going” of a step (the flat part you actually step on).
- Scenario A: If your stair going is 250mm, that 290mm shoe is going to hang over the edge. The result? A statistical likelihood of a large overstep every 10 days.
- Scenario B: Increase that going to 300mm, giving the foot plenty of room. The likelihood of a large overstep plummets to once every 73 years.
That’s a massive improvement. But here is the real kicker: if you take that safe 300mm step and reduce it by just 15mm (a distance smaller than a 1-cent coin), the risk of a major overstep skyrockets all over again. Tiny margins matter. A fraction of an inch is the difference between an employee safely carrying a box of files and an ambulance being called to your premises.
The Ultimate Guide to Slip Risk Assessment
So, how do you manage risks that are sometimes too small to easily see? The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act requires a risk assessment, but it doesn’t have to be a bureaucratic nightmare. It comes down to a straightforward process.
Stage 1: Map the Battlefield (Identify Areas)
Don’t just look at your business as one big space. Break it down into logical, manageable zones. Identify specific worksites and pedestrian surfaces down to the exact material (e.g., “Main entrance – heavily worn blue linoleum”). Track this data using a mapping tool or a simple spreadsheet to prioritize areas that need attention.
Stage 2: Assess the 3 Real Culprits
Slips rarely happen for no reason. They are usually the result of three specific risk factors colliding:
1. Contamination It’s not just spilled coffee. Are you tracking in rainwater? Is there residue left over from the cleaning products your team uses? What about ice in the parking lot during winter? Contamination changes the friction of your floor instantly.
2. The Human Element (Pedestrians) You have to factor in how people actually behave in your space.
- Access: Are pedestrians taking the direct route, or are they cutting corners? Are safe walkways clearly marked during bad weather?
- Footwear: If you have slick floors, do your employees have the right slip-resistant footwear (specifically checking the slip resistance of the heels)?
- Behavior: Are people rushing during peak hours? Are they staring at their phones while walking? Are they carrying bulky items that block their view of the floor?
3. The Surface Itself A floor might be perfectly safe when bone-dry, but what happens when it’s wet? This is where businesses get caught. In a recent three-year period, HSA inspectors found that in 40% of over 1,700 workplace visits, businesses had completely failed to identify pedestrian surfaces that became slippery when wet. Talk to your team. Ask them directly: “Does this floor feel slippery underfoot when you’re walking on it wet?” History leaves clues, if people are constantly having “near-misses” in the hallway, it’s only a matter of time before someone goes down.
Small Changes, Big Protection
Slips, trips, and falls aren’t just an inevitable part of doing business; they are entirely preventable engineering and environmental failures. As the stair example proves, fixing a hazard doesn’t always require tearing down a building, sometimes it’s just about paying attention to the details and understanding the environment your team navigates every day.
Practical Safety. Proven Compliance. Ayrton Group.
Don’t Wait! Tailored Risk Assessment or Risk Management solutions are here! At Ayrton Group, we help businesses cut through the noise and implement practical, compliant health and safety strategies that actually protect your people. Reach out to our consultancy team today, and let’s make sure your workplace is on solid ground. Click here to Speak to an Expert.
