Slips, trips and falls in schools

Contents

1. Overview
2. Introduce a policy to raise awareness
3. Inspect, risk assess and put together an action plan
4. Monitor the situation
5. Review your performance

Overview

Over the last 3 years 46% of all accidents were due to slips and trips. You can help prevent these accidents by thinking about the hazards and risks in schools.

The top five areas where slip and trip accidents occur are:

1. dining hall
2. corridors
3. car parks
4. entrances and reception
5. classrooms and stairs

To help reduce slips and trips we have a plan everyone in school can be involved in;

1. Introduce a policy and raise awareness

Develop and implement a successful policy to control slip and trip hazards. You will require the support of everyone, including Governors, Heads, staff and pupils.

You can download our Slip and Trip Policy and Guidance' template to help you develop your own school policy.

2. Inspect, risk assess and put together an action plan

It is important to raise awareness with all staff and pupils to ensure they understand how they can help prevent slips and trips.

You can do this by;

• showing your pupils the interactive training on preventing slips and trips on the Health and Safety Executive website Slips & Trips eLearing Package.
• ask your pupils to design posters to be placed around the school to help raise awareness of slip and trip hazards.
• carry out an inspection of the school and identify slip and trip hazards with the help of the HSE slips and trips Hazard Spotting Tool.
• think about the risks your school's hazards pose and the control measures you will implement to reduce the risk
• Put together an action plan to ensure all hazards are effectively controlled by using the following guidance documents;
  1. Slip and trip risk assessment template
  2. Snow and Ice risk assessment template
  3. Winter Maintenance Guidance

3. Monitor the situation

To ensure your policy to control slip and trip hazards is working you need to carryout active monitoring and re-active monitoring of your school's hazards.

Active monitoring

Your school will be required to complete regular inspections of the key areas identified in the 'Hazard Spotting Tool' and risk assessment (you should already be doing this as part of your termly inspections). 

Health and Safety will audit your slip and trip policy to ensure hazards are being controlled.

Re-active monitoring

You should investigate accidents and incidents.

4. Review your performance

It is important that your school reviews its performance to ensure your policy is 'fit for purpose'.

By reviewing your performance you can:

• learn from accidents and gain relevant experience
• you can revisit and update your policy
• take action on lessons learned

You should also include audit and inspection reports for a full review of the progress of your policy.