Slips and falls cost business £8m a year

Slips and trips at work cost a staggering £8 million per year to Northern Ireland employers and society in general, according to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI).

At a Belfast seminar today, HSENI’s Chairperson Liam McBrinn said that slips and trips were the most common cause of major injuries in both the manufacturing and service industries and account for more than half of all reported injuries to members of the public. Mr McBrinn said that over 9,000 people every year suffer serious injury as a result of slips and trips at work.

At the seminar, run in conjunction with the 26 District Councils, employers were told that slip and trip accidents could be avoided if risks at work and managing them properly were identified.

Speakers at the event included: Archie McAvoy, a representative from the insurance industry; John Worth, a prominent HSE expert in the field; and John Porter of Desmonds International Clothing who related a personal account of his organisation’s experience in tackling the problem of slips and trips.

HSENI provide a Helpline Service for customers who have queries over health and safety in the workplace. The agency's Information and Advice Centre, at 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast, also provides a comprehensive range of health and safety information resources for customers at a central location.

The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

(GMcG)