How to Prevent Slips and Falls in the Workplace

Stop water and mud spreading indoors

Inspect the entrance during wet weather and normal use. Look for water collecting outside, leaks above the doorway and muddy approaches. Ask staff where conditions deteriorate: a puddle forming beyond the mat during the morning rush could be missed by an inspection before anyone arrives.

Entrance matting should sit securely and flat, with arrangements for cleaning or replacing it when necessary. Check the floor beyond it too. Adding a loose mat can create a trip hazard.

Outdoor staff wearing Altberg boots or other duty footwear should check soles for packed mud and worn tread. Provide a suitable place to remove mud, away from the walking route. Footwear should suit the surfaces and contamination encountered; CCOHS guidance notes that no footwear is slip-resistant in every condition.

Keep people clear while cleaning

When a spill or wet patch is discovered, protect people from it while arranging removal. A warning sign alerts them to danger; where access needs restricting, use suitable barriers and provide a safe alternative route. Keep emergency exits unobstructed.

Choose a cleaning method suited to the floor and the substance involved, following the relevant product and equipment instructions. Avoid spreading dirty water into the surrounding walkway.

Schedule routine wet cleaning outside busy periods where practical, and agree who will inspect the area afterwards. Before reopening it, check that contamination and cleaning residue have been removed and the surface is dry. Include these arrangements in instructions for contract cleaners too, so everyone knows who controls access and who confirms the route is ready for use.

Check the whole walking route

A slip happens when grip is lost; a trip usually begins when a foot catches an obstruction or change in level. Extend entrance inspections to damaged thresholds, curled mat edges, trailing cables and boxes left beside doorways.

Follow the routes people actually use between buildings, stores and work areas. Check visibility during early starts and evening shifts as well as daylight hours. An uneven paving slab that is obvious at midday could be difficult to spot after dark.

Outside, look for standing water, leaves and damaged surfaces. Review precautions when frost or heavy rain is forecast, then inspect as conditions change.

Ask staff where they have slipped or nearly fallen. Their reports can reveal hazards that appear between scheduled inspections, including boxes left during deliveries or equipment temporarily obstructing a route at shift change.

Give every reported hazard an owner

A useful report records the exact location, conditions and time. Replace a vague description such as ‘slippery entrance’ with details of where water collects and when it appears. A photograph can show the extent of a puddle or the position of a damaged tile.

Then assign the next action. At a repeatedly wet doorway, this could mean a supervisor managing access, cleaners removing contamination and maintenance staff investigating drainage or a leak. Name someone to coordinate the work and set a time to review progress.

Keep temporary precautions in place while a permanent repair is outstanding. When responsibility passes to another shift or contractor, include the location, current restrictions and remaining work in the handover.

Check the result before closing the report. For a repaired drain, that means assessing whether water clears effectively when conditions allow, rather than relying solely on a completed job ticket.

Make checks part of the shift

A short inspection tailored to the site gives staff a practical routine. At the start of a shift, check:

• Entrances for moisture, mud and displaced matting.

• Walking routes for obstructions, damage and lighting problems.

• Cleaning arrangements and restricted areas.

• Outstanding reports, temporary precautions and assigned actions.

Set inspection frequency according to the risks and activity at the site. Repeat relevant checks after heavy rain, deliveries or spills.

For the entrance that keeps becoming wet, another completed cleaning round is only an interim step. The lasting improvement comes from finding the cause, correcting it and checking that the route remains safe during normal use.