Dear Reader,

We say congratulations to Kirshni Naidoo this week – she sent a question regarding a situation everyone can relate to – people running down the stairs! I’m sure on a Friday at least one of your employees is guilty of doing this. Here’s her question, and the answer our consultant had to offer…

What are the statistics for falls downstairs?

Question

Please provide me with some with statistics regarding the
dangers of running downstairs, or not holding the handrails. I’d like some information to illustrate the consequences of these actions.

Answer

I don’t have any specific statistics on such incidents, but I can confirm that the bulk of incidents taking place in offices are slip- and fall-related, and the bulk of these are staircase-related!

From a risk identification point of view, the risk of slips and falls on stairs is a reality. Thus, you must put measures in place at any office to prevent these incidents as far as possible. Measures to consider are:

Non-slip strips on stairs
Housekeeping and cleaning of stairs and (most importantly)
Employee conduct on stairs: nobody should run up and down stairs.

You should communicate these measures to employees and manage their compliance.

Stay safe,

Rachel Paterson
Publisher

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