Slips, Trips and Falls: Keep Your Footing

1:04 refresher video · the full talk is below: key points, steps, quiz and a free printable sign-off sheet.

Key points

• Clean up spills at once, or guard them and report them. Do not walk past.
• Keep walkways, stairs and exits clear of boxes, cables and hoses.
• Wear shoes with slip-resistant soles that suit the floor.
• Use the handrail on stairs. Do not carry loads that block your view.
• Report damaged floors, loose mats, poor light and leaks.

Step by step

1. Look ahead: watch where you walk, not your phone.
2. See a spill or object? Stop and deal with it, or guard it and report it.
3. Use a wet-floor sign while a floor is wet, and remove it when dry.
4. Route cords and hoses away from walkways, or cover them.
5. Walk, do not run. Take short steps on wet or icy surfaces.
6. Use the handrail on every stair.
7. Close drawers and doors after use.

Never

• Never leave a spill for someone else.
• Never carry a load you cannot see over.
• Never stand on a chair, box or bucket to reach something — use a step stool or ladder.

Who needs this training

• Everyone — office, kitchen, warehouse, hotel, factory and site workers.
• Cleaners and housekeeping staff, who work on wet floors.
• Supervisors, who set housekeeping standards and fix reported hazards.

What the rule says

In US general industry, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 requires walking-working surfaces to be kept clean, orderly and sanitary, free of hazards such as spills, sharp or protruding objects and loose boards, and kept dry where possible.

Surfaces must be inspected regularly and hazards corrected or guarded until they are fixed.

Falls from height (ladders, roofs, platforms) are covered by separate rules — see the ladder safety and fall protection talks.

Common mistakes

• Leaving a wet-floor sign out all day, so people stop seeing it.
• Running cables across walkways "just for today".
• Wearing worn-out or unsuitable shoes.
• Poor lighting on stairs, in car parks and at night.
• Mats that curl up at the edges.

Talk about it

1. Where in our area do people slip or trip most?
2. Which spills happen here every day, and where are the spill kits?
3. Are our shoes right for our floors?

Quick check

Questions people ask

Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 (walking-working surfaces); NIOSH slips, trips and falls guidance. This talk is a summary for training. Your site's written procedure and your supervisor's instructions come first.