The
TUC has called on employers to carry out risk assessments following major slips
in their workplaces, after a study revealed such accidents cost the UK economy
about £1.1bn a year.
Its
report, Falling down on the job, found there were nearly 15,000 slip and trip
incidents in the 800 workplaces covered. And about 9,000 people a year suffer
broken bones and other serious injuries as a result of falls.
Employees
in Wales were most likely to slip and injure themselves, closely followed by
workplaces in the East Midlands and the South East.
Health
sector workers were most at risk, followed by public administration staff.
Substances left on the floor and obstructions in the wrong places were most at
fault and most accidents occurred on stairs and steps, the shop-floor or
outside.
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TUC
general secretary-elect Brendan Barber said: "Slips and trips are easily
prevented – a simple risk assessment is all it takes. But too many employers
are ducking the issue, leaving their staff vulnerable to painful falls, which
often lead to time off work."
