We all have a responsibility for workplace health and safety.
Accidents from slips, trips and falls constitute around 19% of all workplace injuries. More alarming is that injury deaths from slips trips and falls across the entire population are the highest of any other group – including transport related deaths.
Did You Know?
- Cost to the public from hospitalization is $1.3 billion pa – excluding indirect costs such as writs
- Workplace average cost of a Slip, Trip or Fall is $48,000. Average cost to business is $144,000 for a single event
- The highest single settlement for a slip injury in Australia cost the defendant $2.7 million
- WorkSafe inspectors will look for compliance in wet prone areas and for new floors’ compliance with slip resistance under relevant Standards
- An owner or occupier of premises owes a duty to take such care to see that any person on the premises will not be injured
- You can measure the risk of slipping
Could You Be Found Negligent?
- Test your floors for slip resistance. Understand your risk
- Floors tested to the Australian Standard will provide you with the essential information you need to minimize risk of injury and mitigate litigation and importantly, can assist y o u i n demonstrating your Duty of Care obligations under the OH&S Act and the Wrongs Act
Startling Statistics!
Below, we’ve put together a graphical representation of some of the statistics relating to slips, trips and falls. The statistics demonstrate the cost in terms of $, injuries and even death from slips, trips and falls
Your Pathway to Prevention
Where do you start with floor safety?
Antislipit can provide a complimentary safety audit of your floors with any slip test you undertake with us. Our Technician can measure your level of risk and provide you with direction on how to minimize the risk and demonstrate your required Duty of Care.
Workplace Incidents
Slips, trips and falls are second only to manual handling related accidents
(Source: Worksafe)
Injury Deaths 1
The major contribution to death from injury is slips, trips and falls
(Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Sept. 2009)
Injury Deaths 2
Slips, trips and falls are the major contributor to deaths for the elderly
(Source: ABS)
Hospitalisation Cases
Falls Slips, trips and stumbles from the same level are the major cause of all falls
(Source: Monash University Accident Research Centre)
Codes and Regulations respecting your Duty of Care can be found below:
- Occupational Health & Safety Act
- Building Code of Australia Australian Standards
- Wrongs Act
- Disability Discrimination Act
- WorkSafe (W.A.) WorkCover (NSW)
- SafeWork (Australia)
CASE STUDY
- 8 months pregnant woman slips over in Coles Dandenong Store – on a spilt drink
- Twin babies are born prematurely, both brain-damaged, 1 more than the other
- Wet slip resistance testing showed that the floor was below acceptable value in Draft Standard (pre-AS/NZS 3661.1)
- Reporting to the draft Standard allowed for the first time quantitative interpretation of floor friction
OUTCOME:
- Settled, $2.7 Million
- Workplace Incidents Slips, trips and falls are second only to manual handling related accidents
(Source: Worksafe) - Injury Deaths 1 The major contribution to death from injury is slips, trips and falls
(Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; Sept. 2009)
(Reference – Safe Work Australia)
