Slips and falls' Steve Thorpe steve'thorpehsl'gov'uk Health and Safety Laboratory, Health and Safety

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Slips and falls.Steve Thorpe
steve.thorpe_at_hsl.gov.ukHealth and Safety
Laboratory,Health and Safety Executive, UK.
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Perceptions Real accidents These accidents
can be addressed Risk assessment based
approach Need better information Need better
Standards
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Slips trips and falls HSE Workplace
statistics 11, 000 major injuries, 38 of
total 27, 000 over 3 day injuries, 24 of
total Initiators of other accidents, Falls
from height, workplace transport
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Estimated costs UK 550 million per
annum Germany Euro 2 billion per annum US
6 billion per annum Real costs probably even
higher
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From Hospital Episode Statistics
www.hesonline.nhs.uk
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Why are people in hospital beds?
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Canadian slip campaign video
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Raised profile of these accidents Environmental
Health Officers HSE Inspectors Architects
Food processing/production Catering National
Health Service Prison Service Education Care
homes
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Supported with Forensic visits Guidance Works
hops Conference papers and presentations Publica
tions Slips assessment tool (SAT) Slips and
trips e learning package (STEP 2/09)
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Watch your step 2004 www.hse.gov.uk/watchyourstep
Shattered lives 2008 and 2009 www.hse.gov.uk/shatt
eredlives
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Slip Potential
Cleaning
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Friction requirements
Requirements higher for turning, carrying
For ramped surfaces add tangent of angle At 5
degrees 0.36 Tan 5 0.36 0.09 0.45
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Reliable tests
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Surface Microroughness

• Range of instruments
• Surtronic 10 Surtronic Duo Surtronic 3

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Surface microroughness

• Useful complementary measure
• Monitor changes
• Stairs
• Profiles
• Measurement used by SAT

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Slips Assessment Tool (SAT)

• download www.hsesat.info
• uses slip potential model
• input roughness data
• quantifies slip risk
• risk assessments, site surveys etc.

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UK Slip Resistance Group, UKSRG
Membership includes HSL, HSE RAPRA,
SATRA Forensic engineers Flooring
companies Cleaning companies
Guidelines issue 3, 2005
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• Need to establish good tests
• Good tests and supporting information in
  standards
• Information must relate to installed floor
• Monitor measure, near misses
• Caution with manufacturers data
  

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Footwear
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Slip resistant footwear?
Extract from http//www.hse.gov.uk/research/hsl_
pdf/2007/hsl0733.pdf
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Safety footwear
slip resistance one property other properties
given higher priority Today safety footwear
and slip resistant footwear are not the same
thing!
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New CEN standard requires slip testing test
conditions? thresholds? only test new
footwear HSL ramp data informs Complementary
information helps Lots of information on HSE
website Everyday footwear?
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Food Factory Case Study

• Six month trial
• Eliminated slip accidents
• 12,000 saved

• No slips for 3 years
• Further savings?

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Cleaning

• Correct detergent
• Concentration very important
• Contact time most important
• Solution must be removed
• Mops only effective on smooth floors

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Cleaning
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Profiled surfaces?
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• 2 contaminants
• water
• glycerol

14 pieces of footwear HSL ramp test
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Profiles?

• Shod
• dont necessarily improve slip resistance
• can change very quickly
• introduce different problems
• Barefoot
• less well understood.
• more work required
• characterise with pendulum and ramp method
• data requires interpretation
• Rz useful indicator

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Care and residential homes
Elderly residents Cleaning Adjacencies mats
different surfaces Stairs, steps,
ramps Bathroom surfaces shod, barefoot
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Dining areas
Adjacencies
Cleaning Time for cleaning
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Slopes clearly identify
Think through, lines? colours?
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Stairs
Consistent geometry, larger goings Square
nosings Contrasting nosings Good
handrails Good lighting Avoid patterned
carpet Avoid single steps
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Stairs common mistakes
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Bathrooms
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Other HSE work Health sector proposal Hygienic
cleaning of safety floors BSI Committee
PRI/60 Slip resistance bath and shower mats /
trays
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NHS Study 4/09 3/10 Dunhill Medical Trust
funding Clinical study looking for robust
statistics Patient outcomes Falls on hard/soft
floors HSL responsible for site based testing

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Conclusions Slips and falls are a major cost
Long journey, many hurdles on the way They can
be addressed Solutions are often simple Depend
on reliable information Costs less than
accidents!!

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Thank you for listening Questions?
www.hse.gov.uk/slips