October 15, 2003—The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has just published a new Information Sheet giving advice about preventing slips and trips to workers in health services. Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injury in this sector, amounting to some 650 instances a year. They are also the second biggest cause (after manual handling) of all injuries reported to HSE in health services, accounting for 2,300 injuries a year, nearly a fifth of the total.
The guidance describes the commonest causes of slips and trips and gives advice on how the risks may be avoided or reduced, for example, through selection of suitable flooring, appropriate cleaning regimes, and good housekeeping. It provides practical and legal guidance for managers, those involved in design and maintenance of premises, workers, and others with an interest in health and safety in healthcare.
Free copies of Slips and trips in the health services, Health Services Sheet 2,(.pdf file) are available from the HSE Web site and also from HSE Books, P.O. Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 2WA; tel.: 01787-881165; or fax: 01787-313995.
