Slips, trips and falls
Why people slip, trip and fall at work, and what everyone can do about it: contamination and spills, housekeeping, flooring, lighting and footwear, changes of level and stairs, and portable ladders. Awareness with US (OSHA) and UK (HSE) references; work at height beyond simple ladder use needs separate training.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- About 45 minutes
- Contents
- 3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 1 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify the common causes of slips and trips in a work area
- Deal with a spill or obstruction within your role: guard it, clean it if you can do so safely, or report it
- Report damaged floors, poor lighting and other conditions that need someone else to fix them
- Inspect and use a portable ladder following the basic rules, and choose not to use one that's damaged
- Recognize work at height that needs fall protection and training you may not have
Course outline
- 1.Slips, trips and fallsVideo · 2 min
- 2.Why people slip and tripLesson · 15 min
- 3.Controls and your partLesson · 15 min
- 4.Stairs, changes of level and laddersLesson · 15 min
- 5.Slips, trips and falls: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 16 questions
- 6.Slips, trips and falls: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 7.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22: Walking-working surfaces, general requirements
- OSHA: Walking-Working Surfaces overview
- OSHA QuickCard: Portable Ladder Safety
- HSE: Slips and trips, contamination (UK)
- HSE: Slips and trips guidance hub (UK)
- Your employer's safety procedures, risk assessments and site rules (these govern)
See it with your own jobs and topics
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