Slips, trips and falls responsible for 25% of workplace injuries in restaurants, pubs: WorkSafeBC

A restaurant is seen in this undated file photo.

Injuries from slips and falls have cost B.C.’s restaurant industry more than $20 million in workers’ compensation claims over the past five years, prompting calls for establishments to better address workplace hazards.

In a news release, WorkSafeBC said slips, trips and falls made up about 25 per cent of all injury claims in restaurants, bars and pubs during that timeframe, and the results have been "financially distressing" to the industry.

Injuries from these incidents can range from cuts and bruises to sprains, fractures and concussions, the agency said.

"Although they occur frequently, slips, trips and falls are some of the most preventable types of workplace incidents," said senior manager of prevention field services Barry Nakahara in the release.

"We're urging employers in restaurants, bars and pubs to take steps to identify slip and trip hazards in the workplace and implement controls to reduce the risk of injury."

In order to prevent these incidents from occuring in the workplace, WorkSafeBC suggests following these steps:

• Identify any hazards: Inspect the workplace, create a slip and trip map, and talk to workers, supervisors and joint health and safety committee members about a safety plan;
• Assess the risks: Rank each hazard by probability and severity;
• Implement effective control measures: The most effective response is to remove the trip hazard. If not possible, look at substitutions, including relocating walkways, adding slip-resistant mats or installing hand rails.

WorkSafeBC also stressed the importance of managers and supervisors taking an active role in identifying the hazards and coming up with a solution.

"Efforts to prevent injuries from slips, trips and falls are most likely to succeed when workers are actively involved," said Nakahara.

"Front-line staff are well positioned to point out slip and trip hazards and to help employers quickly deal with them."

According to WorkSafeBC, approximately 11,000 British Columbians are injured by trips and falls in the workplace each year.

The provincial agency also found that trips and falls are to blame for the costliest workplace incidents — resulting in more than 260,000 lost work days and $206 million in claim payments across all industries in B.C.