Part 1
Slips, trips and falls
Slips, trips and falls (or STFs) are everywhere, and they are costly. They account for 25%+ of all workplace injuries and are the #2 cause of work-related deaths globally.
They crop up in offices, warehouses, and sites alike (with wet floors, cluttered walkways, poor lighting, a missed step) and quickly turn routine tasks into recordable injuries. The good news: most are avoidable with consistent attention and a proactive, safety-first culture.
Example cases:
Lone worker fall from height
Working at height can be deadly. In March 2024, a 56-year-old worker pouring concrete at a residential construction site in Doncaster East fell more than two metres and suffered fatal head injuries. The case was one of several serious falls in Victoria that month—six in just three weeks—highlighting how quickly such incidents can occur when safety controls and supervision are lacking..
Trench collapse
One lone worker in South Australia was working in a trench; the trench collapsed, leaving the worker trapped by soil and rocks from the waist down for about 15 minutes. The worker was hospitalised for eight weeks and underwent multiple surgeries, the company was fined $75,000. The company hasn't completed any trenching since the incident in July 2022.
Fragile roof fall
A worker fell through a fragile roof at a site in NSW and died. This isn't an isolated incident - falls from heights are the number one cause of traumatic fatalities in the NSW building and construction industry, according to SafeWork. This illustrates how STF risks escalate without robust controls.
Mitigation strategies:
Engineer safer surfaces & spaces: High-traction flooring/coatings in wet zones; bevelled transitions/ramps; drainage; non-slip stair treads; ample lighting indoors/outdoors to reveal hazards.
Perform housekeeping & maintenance: “See it, sort it” for spills; winter snow/ice plans (pre-shift clearing/salting); secure cords/mats; fix uneven floors; routine inspections.
Control traffic & layout: Keep walkways clear; mark changes in level; place absorbent mats at entries; design storage to keep items off floors.
Use footwear and PPE as the last line: Mandate slip-resistant shoes; issue ice cleats/traction aids for cold weather; use handrails.
Train and reinforce awareness: Proper onboarding and seasonal refreshers on hazard spotting, safe pace, carrying/visibility, and reporting; signage (“Wet floor”, floor tape) and micro-campaigns (e.g., “Watch Your Step”).
Implement lone-worker controls: Define which tasks cannot be done alone; scheduled check-ins; radios; fall-detection/man-down wearables with GPS; fast escalation if a check-in is missed.
Build culture & accountability: Encourage near-miss reporting; rapid fix SLA for hazards; supervisor walk-downs; measure STF rates and act on trends.
