Help to Prevent Slips this Winter

Over a third of all major injuries reported every year are a result of a slip or trip, and it is the most common cause of workplace injuries. It is a requirement under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 to prevent, or at least control, slips, trips and falls as far as reasonably practical.

This season brings more risk of slips and falls in the workplace due to ice, rain, snow and less daylight. It is important to take all the necessary precautions to try and help prevent injuries from occurring. Here are some tips you can follow to help try and prevent any slips and trips this winter:

Risk Assessment – it’s a good idea to do a risk assessment around your building to identify anything that could become a risk if left unattended.

Matting – when we are hit with heavy rain and miserable weather, very quickly entrances to buildings become lethal! Well maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but you know what we mean. It is very easy to slip over if you’re not careful, and this is why choosing appropriate entrance matting is important. Here at Key we have a range of entrance matting, but we have selected one we think would be appropriate in most settings, our Polyplush Entrance Mat.

Floor Signs – entrance matting will help combat wet floors, but it isn’t always enough to keep all moisture off the floors of a building. Make sure you display wet floor signs wherever there may be a hazard, and make sure someone dries the area! It’s no good just putting the signs out but leaving it as you haven’t eliminated the risk.

Lighting – sufficient lighting is needed both inside and outside the building. With darker days, and nights drawing in earlier, this will mean staff and visitors can clearly see any hazards or slippery surfaces.

Footwear – Encourage your staff to wear appropriate safety footwear for whatever task they are undertaking, and if there are any slips or trips, make sure they are reported and recorded in an accident book. Here at Key, we recommend our Ice Traction Grippers that can be fitted over boots and shoes, making it versatile and useful for everyone.

Salt and Spreaders – Something you can do to make a big difference to the risk of employees and visitors slipping over this winter is to invest in salt and spreaders. We recommend Ice Melt, which is 10 times more effective than traditional rock salt, meaning you won’t need to use as much. Our most popular spreader is the 30kg Capacity Medium Duty Spreader, ideal for car parks and walkways around your building.