Slips, trips and falls: The shocking impact just one trip may have on your business

Slips, trips, and falls in the workplace may seem to the majority of us an inevitability and unwanted side effect of working life, from a somewhat minor incident such as a trip over a box or cable, which results in cuts and bruises, to a fall from height, which may cause life-changing injuries, taking a person away from their job for weeks, months, or even years.

This is not only life-changing for the person it’s happened to but can also be extremely painful for the company where the incident occurred - both in terms of potential insurance payouts for a claim and reputational damage. 

In 2022,  RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), gave some serious consideration to this hot topic, and released a research paper investigating slips, trips and falls (STFs) in the workplace.  

In this unmissable article, we dig a little deeper, seeing STFs from the perspective of an insurance broker whose role it is to investigate and assess an STF through a risk and claims lens. As well as the key report takeaways, our Howden specialists provide top tips on what you and your organisation can do to mitigate risk - reducing or even removing the chance of STFs on your business premises.
 

Key stats

Looking at respondents' comments, 27 per cent of decision-makers surveyed said STFs were ‘just not an issue in their industry’, with ten percent going as far as to say making a thing about an STF was ‘a stupid idea’ or ‘not even a thing’. Only 21 percent of respondents, on a scale of one to ten from ‘not important’ to ‘very important’, scored a positive ten. 

Now let’s briefly comment on the reality of days lost to STFs versus the perception. Many organisations were similarly vague on this topic, suggesting one to 20 working days per year across the business. However, with one business reporting back that there had been in excess of 100,000 hours and another 6.9 million lost hours, it was clear STFs were not something to be swept away as easily as parcel debris. 

The HSE’s (Health and Safety Executive) report for 2023 went even further, reporting there were 4.1 million working days lost to non-fatal workplace injuries, with the average person taking 6.8 days per year for work-related injuries – translating to 604,000 non-fatal injuries in the workplace from 2023/24 so far, according to this HSE/Labour Force Survey. This also details the types and causes of accidents reported.

But the one figure you might want to take away, even if you forget everything else, is that, according to the HSE – slips, trips, and falls cost UK employers around £500 million every year… and rising.

Read more here: Statistics - Working days lost in Great Britain

Impact of STFs: How falls may lead to business fails

Rather than pushing it into the background or refusing to acknowledge it, in light of these numbers, we recommend every business recognises the issues that a slip, trip, or fall may cause across all industries.

Here’s a scenario worth a read. An experienced factory floor manager trips over a piece of machinery and breaks their wrist. Not only is there a likely claim as to how and why this machinery was positioned where it was and who was responsible, but there are other outcomes. There will be the sick pay outlay for a start, as well as getting in a temporary replacement and that hiring cost. Or maybe the cost of training up someone in the workforce to take this role on? You’ll then need to ensure this is indeed a safe workspace for other employees, ensuring no corners are being cut or safety practices being overlooked, and see that any media story or PR is managed, while addressing the concerns and questions of other workers. 

All this… just from one person’s injury. 

And to focus in more granular detail, let’s take a look at the main causes of STFs in hospitality where there’s been a shocking rise in incident levels. In kitchens, storerooms, and hotel corridors lies the constant threat of spilt hot fat or grease (one slip may end up with someone falling onto a hot surface, making a bad situation so much worse), as well as cleaning liquids and unattended equipment. A recent article in Catering Insight revealed that there were 1,486 STFs (among 4,233 overall accident reports) in the hospitality industry, but widening this out to include self-reported employee information, a Labour Force Survey estimated 44,000 non-fatal incidents, of which STFs comprise a very significant percentage.

The HSE has also produced a full and handy guide to address the main culprits and causes, pointing out how best to avoid an accident in this setting.
And while your direct employees are likely to be your main cause for concern when looking at the wider implications of an accident, consider also what may happen if a visitor were injured, a delivery person got hurt, or agency staff and contractors experienced a trip. 

What do the insurance and risk management experts say about STFs?

As you can imagine, while certain key industry people may prefer to play the three wise monkeys card and not acknowledge the negative power of an STF, it’s a subject that’s widely and frankly being discussed among insurers and risk management specialists – along with suggested solutions and safeguarding procedures.

In a recent episode of our “Risky Business” podcast, Howden Claims Executive Barry Davies remarked: “An STF is one of the most common types of claims we see… most of them are relatively low value, or appear to be low value, and I think that’s what gives people a false impression. Because they can be extremely bad.” 

And just as a reminder… in monetary terms ‘extremely bad’ can mean £500 million per year for employers, in terms of settlements and improvements following a workplace STF.

Christian Harris, Founder of Slip Safety Services, says: “Every business leader needs to understand this: to recover the cost of a £100,000 slip claim, a business with a 5% profit margin needs to generate £2 million in additional sales. Slip prevention isn't a cost - it's an investment that delivers measurable returns. But here’s the good news: taking a scientific approach can see 57%+ reductions in accidents, injuries and claims.”

To hear Christian and our very own experts discuss slips, trips and falls, click below to listen to our podcast.

If you’re still lurking around the edges of that group who don’t think STFs are a priority or are even nearer to the ten per cent who are actively hostile to taking preventative measures, you may also question the value of a site risk assessment. Take it from us, this is not just bureaucracy for the sake of it. It’s a tool and process where premises owners, managers, and operators – along with a site surveyor – assess if they are doing enough to reduce risk or decide there is more work to be done. 

As well as making sure there are no obvious obstacles, a risk assessment should cover the needs of employees with additional needs or disabilities – whether they’re visible or hidden – and futureproof the environment wherever possible, so all possible eventualities can be considered.

We’d further advise that you speak to our experienced Howden Risk Management team so we can share additional insights on preventing STFs, and connect you with the right risk services.  

And of course, before we sign off, here’s a fundamental list to get you and your business on a less cluttered path to safety.

What to do and what not to do…

Head over to the Asset Protection webpage and find out how Howden Risk Management can help your business, or get in touch with the team directly below: