Management Information Sheet
Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls
One of the main causes of reportable injuries to staff in schools, particularly in primary schools, continues to be slips, trips and falls.
This Management Information sheet sets out the actions that all headteachers can take to assess the risks to their staff from slips, trips and falls and put in place proactive measures to reduce the number of such incidents.
Health and safety advisers will be focusing on implementation of this management information sheet at routine advisory/monitoring visits.
Actions
Headteachers should:
Assess the control measures that are in place in your school to address the likely risks to staff by reviewing the relevant questions on slips, trips and falls in the Risk Assessment Checklist and accompanying guidance. Headteachers need to ensure that all relevant controls are in place following this review.
See also Practical Guidance on Slips, Trips and Falls and guidance on Severe Weather.
It is recommended that schools incorporate the HSE's Watch Your Step eLearning package and other resources listed below into training/briefings for all staff to improve their understanding of how slips and trips are caused, why preventing them is important and how to tackle them.
Risk Assessment Checklist (Schools)
The risk assessment checklist and accompanying guidance includes recommended controls for slips, trips and falls in the following areas:
spillages and wet floors (page 2)
paths, floors and stairs (page 5)
kitchen areas and dining halls (page 9)
directly employed cleaning staff (page 9)
office and support staff (page 10)
HSE Watch Your Step eLearning package
The STEP elearning tool contains high quality tailored resources designed for the Education sector.
The Introductory course can be accessed by all staff and provides key information in an easy to understand, interactive format. The intermediate course will suit headteachers, managers, supervisors and union health and safety reps.
Other resources on the HSE Shattered Lives website
Other resources that can be used to support efforts to reduce the numbers of slip, trip and fall incidents include:
Slips and trips: The importance of floor cleaning
Make sure that your caretaking and cleaning staff understand the main points contained in this document
Catering case study: Reducing slips, trips and falls in a school kitchen
Case study: £55,000 for teacher who slipped on a chip
FAQs: How do I stop slip accidents occurring in icy conditions?
Includes FAQs on dealing with ice, frost and snow; and gritting: the pros and cons
Shattered Lives - Education poster
This Management Information sheet sets out the actions that all headteachers can take to assess the risks to their staff from slips, trips and falls and put in place proactive measures to reduce the number of such incidents.
Health and safety advisers will be focusing on implementation of this management information sheet at routine advisory/monitoring visits.
Actions
Headteachers should:
Risk Assessment Checklist (Schools)
The risk assessment checklist and accompanying guidance includes recommended controls for slips, trips and falls in the following areas:
HSE Watch Your Step eLearning package
The STEP elearning tool contains high quality tailored resources designed for the Education sector.
The Introductory course can be accessed by all staff and provides key information in an easy to understand, interactive format. The intermediate course will suit headteachers, managers, supervisors and union health and safety reps.
Other resources on the HSE Shattered Lives website
Other resources that can be used to support efforts to reduce the numbers of slip, trip and fall incidents include:
Make sure that your caretaking and cleaning staff understand the main points contained in this document
Includes FAQs on dealing with ice, frost and snow; and gritting: the pros and cons