Slips and trips resulting from spills are among three common workplace hazards identified by SafeWork SA as part of its major awareness campaign – Safety at work is a serious job.

The message attached to the Slips sub-theme in the campaign is You know the drill, clean up that spill.

Slips and trips are a significant problem affecting every workplace, from the factory floor to the office and quite often can result in serious injury and lengthy amounts of time off work.

How does SafeWork SA define a slip and trip?

• Slips occur when a person’s foot loses traction with the ground surface due to wearing inappropriate footwear or when walking on slippery floor surfaces such as those that are highly polished, wet or greasy.
• Trips occur when a person unexpectedly catches their foot on an object or surface. In most cases people trip on low obstacles that are not easily noticed such as uneven edges in flooring, loose mats, opened drawers, untidy tools or cables from electrical equipment.
• Slips and trips result in thousands of injuries every year including musculoskeletal injuries, cuts, bruises, fractures and dislocations. More serious injuries can also occur.
• Slips, trips and falls are the second leading cause of workplace injury, after hazardous manual tasks.

How many notifications has SafeWork SA received on slips and trips?

What are the most common industries to report a slip or trip to SafeWork SA?

• Construction
• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• Transport, postal and warehousing
• Agriculture, forestry and fishing

What are the common causes of slips and trips?

• The type and stability of the floor or ground surfaces such as uneven or broken concrete and sloping ground
• Slippery floor surfaces caused by water, fluid spillage and oil
• Equipment, boxes and materials blocking walkways
• Stairs or steps
• Carrying things that obscure the view ahead
• Poor lighting
• Inadequate or improper footwear
• Distraction

What compliance action has SafeWork SA taken around slips and trips?

• SafeWork SA conducted compliance campaigns in metropolitan and regional areas in 2024, focussing on the most common construction industry safety concerns including slips, trips and falls
• Inspectors issued 252 statutory notices related to slips and trips in 2025, up from 69 in 2022.

What must a worker and an employer do to minimise the risk of harm from a slip or trip?

Employer

• Employers must manage the health and safety risks associated with slips and trips by eliminating the risk so far as is reasonably practicable
• If elimination is not possible, risks should be minimised so far as is reasonably practicable.

This involves a systematic approach to:

• identify hazards
• if necessary, assess the risks associated with these hazards
• implement and maintain risk control measures
• review risk control measures.

Worker

• Clean up spills immediately
• Ensure the floor in the work area is free of clutter and trip hazards
• Choose appropriate footwear
• Maintain three points of contact when walking up or down stairs.

Examples of slips and trips incidents

• A healthcare worker in 2023 stepped into a patch of oil spilled by a resident. The worker slipped and fell backwards injuring his shoulder and head.
• A horticulture worker was using powered outdoor equipment in 2022 when they tripped, fell backwards and hit their head. Their symptoms worsened after the incident, and the worker later died.
• A storm flooded part of a tiled corridor in an administration building in 2022, making the floor slippery. A staff member slipped on the tiles while heading to the bathroom, resulting in a broken hip.
• An Uber driver was heading back to her vehicle in 2022 after completing a delivery and slipped on the footpath, breaking her leg.

Resources

Codes of Practice

• Managing the work environment and facilities
• Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace

Factsheets

• Slips factsheet

Further links

• Slips, trips and falls
• Organise your own workplace activity | SafeWork SA
• Take the Safety Check quiz | SafeWork SA