The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a new campaign to highlight the dangers of slips, trips and falls at work – after it was revealed that such accidents caused the death of five workers in Scotland last year.

The HSE says that slips, trips and falls are the most common form of workplace accident in the UK – and cost industry as much as £800 million every year.

The HSE has launches a new phase of its Shattered Lives campaign, which includes a new website (www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives) offering advice and guidance on how to avoid accidents in the workplace.

The campaign is targeted at sectors where there are high numbers of accidents involving slips, trips and falls each year – including health and social care, education, food manufacturing, food retail, catering and hospitality, building and plant maintenance, and construction.

The website will advise not only on how to avoid such accidents – but also how to implement cost effective measures to improve health and safety in the workplace. Companies will also be able to view the measures that major companies such as Sainsbury’s and First Line Digital  have introduced.

A tool on the website called STEP and a work at height access equipment toolkit WAIT will offer a range of advice from how to deal with slip risks, such as spills – to the importance of using ladders correctly to reduce the risks of falling from height.

HSE director for Scotland, Dr Paul Stollard, said:

‘These figures highlight the very real and serious nature of preventable slip, trip and fall incidents in the workplace. 

‘Slips, trips and falls might sound funny, but they shatter the lives of thousands of British workers ever year.

‘Making improvements doesn’t need to cost the earth – and we are encouraging people to visit the Shattered Lives site, where they will be able to get simple and cost effective solutions to help manage slips, trips and falls hazards in their workplace.’

The HSE campaign Shattered Lives will also involve ads in the media, including radio adverts.

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