According to the Health and Safety Executive, slips and trips are the most common cause of workplace injury. On average, they are the cause of 40 per cent of all reported major injuries at work and can also result in other types of serious accident, such as falls from height. Slips and trips are also the most reported injury to members of the public.
Wet floors pose an obvious hazard and any spillages or leaks should always be dealt with immediately. However, a worker who mopped up after he slipped and injured himself on a wet floor in the staff toilets found his employer disinclined to believe his account of what had happened.
The toilets were dark and he slipped as he was trying to turn on the light. Even though he was in pain, he cleaned the floor to prevent further accident before reporting the incident. His employer carried out an inspection and, finding no water on the floor, denied any liability for the man's injuries.
Fortunately for the injured man, the judge hearing his personal injury claim preferred his version of events and found that his employer had failed to put in place an effective system of regular cleaning and inspection. Accordingly, he was awarded compensation for his injuries.