Keep safe at work as the nights draw in

At this time of year surfaces can be perilous, which means slips and trips accidents are are likely to become more frequent.

Poor lighting, excess water from rain and even wet and decaying leaves can all cause slip and trip accidents to increase significantly.

Slips and trips cause over a third of all major injuries and can also lead to other types of accidents, such as falls from height or into machinery.

There are plenty of seasonal factors to consider when avoiding these sorts of accidents…

Lighting

Is there is enough lighting around your workplace for you and your workers to be able to see and avoid hazards that might be on the ground? The easiest way to find out is to ask your staff. Another way is to shadow your employees for a couple of days, walk the main internal and external routes that they use throughout their working day. It is important to do this both inside and outside of the workplace, as the effect of light changes during the day. If you can’t see hazards on the ground you will need to improve the lighting (eg new lights or changing the type of bulb).

Wet and decaying leaves

Fallen leaves that become wet or have started to decay can create slip risks in two ways, they hide any hazard that may be on the path or they themselves create a slip risk.

Put in place a procedure for removing leaves at regular intervals; you might even consider removing the offending bushes or trees altogether.

Rain water

In dealing with rainwater:

• When fitting external paved areas ensure that the material used will be slip resistant when wet.
• Discourage people from taking shortcuts over grass or dirt which are likely to become slippery when wet. Consider converting existing shortcuts into proper paths.
• On new sites, before laying paths, think about how pedestrians are likely to move around the site. Putting the path in the right place from the start may save you money in the long term.
• Many slip accidents happen at building entrances as people entering the building walk in rainwater. Fitting canopies of a good size over building entrances and in the right position can help to prevent this.
• If a canopy is not a possibility, consider installing large, absorbent mats or even changing the entrance flooring to one which is non-slip.

Ice, frost and snow

• To reduce the risk of slips on ice, frost or snow, you need to assess the risk and put in a system to manage it.
• Identify the outdoor areas used by pedestrians most likely to be affected by ice, for example: – building entrances, car parks, pedestrian walkways, shortcuts, sloped areas and areas constantly in the shade or wet.
• Monitor the temperature, as prevention is key.
• There are also smart signs on the market, available to buy at low cost, which display warning messages at 50 and below.
• Put a procedure in place to prevent an icy surface forming and/or keep pedestrians off the slippery surface;
  • Use grit (see separate article below for more detail) or similar, on areas prone to be slippery in frosty, icy conditions;
  • Consider covering walkways eg by an arbour high enough for people to walk through, or use an insulating material on smaller areas overnight;
  • Divert pedestrians to less slippery walkways and barrier off existing ones.
• If warning cones are used, remember to remove them once the hazard has passed or they will eventually be ignored.

Gritting

The most common method used to de-ice floors is gritting as it is relatively cheap, quick to apply and easy to spread. Rock salt (plain and treated) is the most commonly used ‘grit’. It is the substance used on public roads by the highways authority.

Salt can stop ice forming and cause existing ice or snow to melt. It is most effective when it is ground down, but this will take far longer on pedestrian areas than on roads.

Gritting should be carried out when frost, ice or snow is forecast or when walkways are likely to be damp or wet and the floor temperatures are at, or below freezing. The best times are early in evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive. Salt doesn’t work instantly; it needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor.

If you grit when it is raining heavily the salt will be washed away, causing a problem if the rain then turns to snow. Compacted snow, which turns to ice, is difficult to treat effectively with grit. Be aware that ‘dawn frost’ can occur on dry surfaces, when early morning dew forms and freezes on impact with the cold surface. It can be difficult to predict when or where this condition will occur.

Residents put at risk of deadly disease as company fined £900k

A company has been fined following an outbreak of legionella at its sheltered housing accommodation in Birkenhead, putting vulnerable residents at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

The deadly bacteria was detected at Vincent Naughton Court following the sampling of its water systems in the communal areas and flats in July and August 2018.

With all 44 samples testing positive for legionella, the residents were then evacuated from the Sanctuary Housing premises in August 2018, before returning in October and November 2018 after the water system was remedied through the installation of a chlorination unit.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Sanctuary Housing poorly managed the risk of legionella in the water system of Vincent Naughton Court, with staff inadequately trained and supervised. The residents were a particularly vulnerable group due to their age and underlying health issues, putting them at a higher risk of contracting Legionnaires’ disease.

The HSE investigation found that legionella was detected during testing on 16 and 31 July, which prompted a letter being written by Sanctuary Housing to residents, advising that work would be carried out on the water system on 6 August.

The letter, dated 3 August, misleadingly stated that the contaminated tap water could be stored in sinks and boiled in kettles. More importantly, the letter failed to inform residents that they should avoid using their showers, which would lead to residents being exposed to the risk of Legionnaires’ disease.

Further testing on 8 and 15 August confirmed legionella was still present as work to fix the water system was carried out. The residents were later evacuated on 24 August.

HSE guidance can be found at: Legionella and legionnaires’ disease – HSE

Sanctuary Housing Association, of Castle Street, Worcester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £900,000 and ordered to pay £11,480.60 in costs at Liverpool Crown Court on 22 October 2024.

HSE inspector Rose Leese-Weller said: “Sanctuary Housing failed to protect vulnerable residents living at Vincent Naughton Court through its mismanagement of the site’s water system. It is very fortunate that none of the residents became ill as they were allowed, without any proper warnings, to continue to use the grossly contaminated water for a large period of time. Not only was there a failure by Sanctuary Housing to manage the risk of contamination in its water systems, but the company had not provided its staff with adequate instruction and training.”

This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Kate Harney and supported by HSE paralegal officer Lucy Gallagher.

Stress At Work

What are the Management Standards?

HSE’s Management Standards represent a set of conditions that, if present:

• demonstrate good practice through a step-by-step risk assessment approach
• allow assessment of the current situation using pre-existing data, surveys and other techniques
• promote active discussion and working in partnership with employees and their representatives, to help decide on practical improvements that can be made
• help simplify risk assessment for work-related stress by:
  • identifying the main risk factors
  • helping employers focus on the underlying causes and their prevention
  • providing a yardstick by which organisations can gauge their performance in tackling the key causes of stress

They cover six key areas of work design that, if not properly managed, are associated with poor health, lower productivity and increased accident and sickness absence rates. The Management Standards are:

• Demands – this includes issues such as workload, work patterns and the work environment
• Control – how much say the person has in the way they do their work
• Support – this includes the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues
• Relationships – this includes promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour
• Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures that they do not have conflicting roles
• Change – how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated in the organisation

To effectively implement the Management Standards approach it is essential that you ensure the resource, support and infrastructure for the project is in place in your organisation. For advice on doing this go to Before you start.

Management Standards workbook

The implementation process detailed here is supported by a workbook which provides tips, advice and guidance from people who have gone through the process. It includes a selection of checklists to allow you to be sure that each step has been achieved before you move on.

You can print this workbook free of charge and use it to develop your approach; the completed document can be retained as evidence of what you have done should an inspector need it.

The workbook will also be useful to organisations choosing to use an alternative approach, and provides advice on ensuring their approach is suitably equivalent – many of the practical solutions may also be applicable.