The Top Risk Management Tips - Prevent Injury At Work

Slips and trips maybe seen by some as funny but they are in fact the most
common cause of major injuries at work with over a third of all injuries
reported each year caused by slip or trip accidents. In fact slip or trip
accidents account for:

20% of injuries where the employee is absent for over 3-days 33% of all
reported major injuries
2 fatalities per year
50% of all reported accidents to members of the public A cost of £368
million per year to employers in lost production and other costs

The highest rate of injuries occurs in the food and drink, repair of
consumer goods and vehicle sectors. However with almost all workplaces being
affected by this type of injury and with most slips occurring due to poor
housekeeping, solutions to the problem are often simple and cost-effective.

Northern Counties Insurance Brokers, the UK Insurance Broker and experts in
risk management have produced these Top Tips on how you can reduce your
exposure to risk and with it your insurance premiums.

1. Planning

By having an effective management system in place the key areas of risk can
be identified and goals can be set to make improvements. This should include
selecting equipment and work practices that contain slip and trip hazards
and if possible prevent them occurring.

2. Organisation

Get workers involved in and committed to reducing risks. This should involve
giving people responsibilities to ensure that areas of the workplace are
kept safe and then making sure everyone is aware who is responsible for each
area.

3. Control

Keep a record of cleaning and maintenance work and encourage good health and
safety.

4. Monitor and Review

Keep an accident log and re-examine it on a regular basis to learn from
incidents that have occurred.

5. Examine slip and trip risks

The Health and Safety Executive recommend a 5 step approach to risk
management when dealing with slip and trip risks and these
are:

Step 1 – Look for slip and trip hazards around the workplace (e.g., uneven
floors, trailing cables, areas that are sometimes slippery due to spillages)

Step 2 – Decide who might be harmed and how. Are the people who come into
your workplace at risk?

Step 3 – Consider the risks – do you already have precautions to deal with
the risks?

Step 4 – Record your findings if you have 5 or more employees

Step 5 – Regularly review the assessment. If any changes take place make
sure that precautions are in place to deal with the risks

Mark Burdett of Northern Counties said, “When it comes to preventing slips,
trips and falls happening getting conditions right from the start will make
dealing with risks easier. This can include choosing the right flooring,
making sure lighting levels are sufficient, avoiding overcrowding and making
sure access routes are clear. By doing this the chances of an accident
occurring will be greatly reduced and therefore so will your exposure to
risk. And with certain insurance companies now offering substantial
discounts for good health and safety many businesses could also save money
on their Business Insurance premiums”.

About The Author: For information on Northern Counties and on how they can
help your company reduce it’s exposure to risk and insurance premiums visit
http://www.northerncounties.com or call Northern Counties on 0191 482 1219.