Slips, Trips and Falls at Work: What Every Employer Needs to Know

Slips, trips and falls are among the most common causes of workplace injury in the UK — and among the most preventable. From cleaning practices to poor lighting and icy car parks, the hazards are often hiding in plain sight. Here’s what employers need to understand about their legal duties and the practical steps that keep people safe.

The Hidden Hazard of Workplace Cleaning

All businesses require cleaning, whether managed in-house or contracted out. Regardless of the arrangement, employers retain a duty of care. Risk assessments must be carried out, and appropriate training — including manual handling and COSHH awareness — must be provided. If cleaners work after hours, lone working also becomes a consideration.

According to the HSE, the main health and safety risks for cleaning operatives are:

Slips and trips
Occupational dermatitis
Exposure to hazardous substances (COSHH)
Back pain
Work at height
Window cleaning risks
Wet mopping

Cleaning hazards in the workplace — Cleaning activities carry several underestimated risks

The HSE has issued Improvement Notices to organisations that failed to dry mop kitchen floors — resulting in slips and injuries that were entirely avoidable.

Case Study: When Cleaning Makes the Floor More Dangerous

Wet mopping floor safety — A ‘mop dry’ floor can remain dangerously slippery for up to 7 minutes

A fast food restaurant provides a useful illustration. A small coffee spill — roughly the size of a 50p piece — was quickly spotted. A member of staff mopped up the spillage and the surrounding area, squeezed out the mop, and went over the whole area again, leaving approximately two square metres ‘mop dry’.

Research found the mopped area remained extremely slippery for around seven minutes while drying — and was almost indistinguishable from the dry floor around it. Customers had no way of knowing they were stepping onto a hazardous surface.

Simply blotting the original small spill with a paper towel would have been far safer. Make sure your cleaning procedures are explicitly covered in your risk assessments.

Getting Winter Ready: Gritting Procedures

When icy and frosty conditions arrive, a proactive gritting plan is essential. Rock salt is the standard material — the same used by highways authorities on public roads. It’s cost-effective and quick to apply, but it must be used correctly.

Grit when frost or ice is forecast, or when walkways are damp and temperatures are at or below freezing.
Best times: early evening before frost settles, or early morning before staff arrive.
Salt needs time — it must dissolve into surface moisture to work effectively.
Do not grit in heavy rain; the salt will be washed away.
Watch for ‘dawn frost’ — forms on otherwise dry surfaces and is hard to predict.
Communicate your gritting plan to all staff, including where and when.

Winter gritting walkways — Gritting must be timed and documented to be effective

The Risks of Poor Lighting

Poor workplace lighting hazards — Poor lighting in external areas is a frequently overlooked hazard

Inadequate lighting is a frequently overlooked contributor to slips, trips and falls. Where lighting fails, hazards that would ordinarily be visible become invisible — and employers who fail to address this can face negligence claims.

Hallways and walkways — trailing cables and obstacles invisible in low light.
Slipping hazards — liquids on floors are harder to spot without adequate lighting.
Stairwells — even with handrails, poor lighting dramatically increases fall risk.
External areas — car parks and building approaches must be lit, especially in winter.

📋 Lighting Action Checklist

Risk assess lighting across all areas, including external spaces.
Use a light meter to measure levels where there is any doubt.
Improve lighting where it falls below recommended levels.
Reassess after any changes and monitor regularly.
Gather feedback from employees about problem areas.

Key reference: HSG38 – Lighting at Work (HSE). Covers risk assessment, good practice and minimum recommended levels.

✅ Your Action Summary

Review cleaning procedures — ensure wet floors are managed safely with dry mopping and wet floor signs.
Prepare a gritting plan before cold weather and communicate it to all staff.
Audit internal and external lighting and address any deficiencies.
Ensure risk assessments explicitly cover cleaning, winter conditions and lighting.
Provide appropriate training to cleaning and facilities staff.

Need support with risk assessments, staff training or health and safety compliance? Get in touch with Ryder Partnership →