Slips, Trips and Same-Level Falls Toolbox Talk

A useful slips and trips talk does more than tell people to “take care.” It identifies the route, surface and conditions for today's work; removes avoidable hazards; protects people from a hazard that cannot be fixed immediately; and gives someone responsibility to check the controls remain effective. This template covers same-level falls on construction and other work sites. Work at height requires its own assessment and briefing. HSE highlights uneven surfaces, obstacles, cables, slippery ground and small changes in level as common construction risks. HSE construction slips and trips.

Direct answer: inspect the route people will actually use

Copyable briefing card

Opening script: “We are using [route] to reach [task]. The main slip or trip risks here are [specific conditions]. Before anyone uses it, [person] will [remove, repair, clean or segregate]. If you find a new spill or obstruction, stop people using the unsafe section, deal with it only if trained and safe to do so, and tell [named contact]. Do not assume a warning sign makes a dangerous route safe.”

Walk the route together

Begin where people enter, not where the supervisor normally stands. Follow the actual path to welfare, stores, the task and exits. Consider visitors and other trades, including those carrying bulky loads whose view of the floor is restricted. HSE says designated walkways should be in suitable condition, with appropriate lighting and signs. Where a walkway cannot safely remain open, agree a clearly marked alternative. HSE construction slips and trips; HSE workplace transport routes.

Ground and floor condition. Look for broken boards, wheel ruts, uneven surfaces, small steps and thresholds. Repair or bridge defects where suitable, and keep routes as level and well drained as reasonably practicable. A small change in level can still cause a fall. Do not set an invented “safe” step height.

Contamination and weather. Check for water, mud, ice, wet leaves, dust or spills. Remove the source where possible; clean and dry the surface using a method suitable for the contaminant; redirect people while it remains unsafe. Grit or other treatment may help with ice, but a route also needs rechecking as conditions change. HSE's slip model considers contamination, cleaning, flooring, environment, footwear and people together. HSE causes and prevention.

Obstacles and services. Move materials and waste into designated storage, plan delivery drops away from walkways, and route cables overhead or otherwise protect them so they do not cross pedestrian traffic. If a cable or hose cannot be removed, use a suitable protected crossing and assess whether the route still works for people carrying equipment. The site-housekeeping briefing owns the broader storage and waste process; this talk concentrates on the trip path and its immediate control.

Lighting and visibility. Check entrances, stairs, temporary routes and early or late shifts. A surface that is easy to negotiate in daylight may become hazardous when a light fails. Report the lighting defect, protect the route and provide safe access before work continues.

Footwear. Suitable grip matters, but footwear cannot cure poor drainage, a broken floor or material left in a walkway. Choose footwear based on the hazard assessment and check condition. Avoid promising that any generic “anti-slip” shoe works on every surface.

Questions for the crew

1. Which route will you use when the delivery arrives, and what changes then?
2. Where does water or mud collect after rain?
3. Can you see the edge of the temporary step in current lighting?
4. Who can isolate and clean a spill safely, and whom do others contact?
5. If the direct path is blocked, what is the safe alternative?

Ask a worker to point out one live issue and explain the action. The aim is understanding and correction, not signatures alone.

Example: changing access during a fit-out

A crew uses a corridor while electricians install temporary lighting and plumbers carry pipe. The original walkway is dry, but a hose and new material delivery obstruct it. The lead reroutes the hose, moves the pipe to planned storage and marks a temporary pedestrian path. They check lighting at the threshold and name a person to inspect the path after the next delivery. Simply telling workers to “watch your step” would leave the cause in place.

Common mistakes

• Treating slips and trips as only a housekeeping problem, missing damaged ground and poor drainage.
• Leaving a wet route open with only a sign when it can be cleaned or closed.
• Assessing the route once and ignoring changing weather or deliveries.
• Focusing on workers but omitting visitors and other trades.
• Giving a talk without assigning the person who will fix and recheck a defect.
• Blurring same-level falls with working-at-height controls.

Attendance and action record

Unresolved hazard [ ]; immediate protection [ ]; action owner [ ]; deadline [ ]; recheck result [ ]; proceed/hold decision [ ]. Keep the record according to the organisation's justified retention schedule; do not assume a universal statutory period for this talk.

Sources, links and writer-side QA

Primary sources: HSE construction slips and trips; HSE causes and prevention; HSE workplace transport route guidance. Reviewed 6 October 2026. Claims limited to controls and practical duties; no injury percentage or fixed frequency invented.

Owner boundary: The live site-housekeeping talk covers general tidiness; the live working-at-height talk covers elevated falls. This page's independent task is a same-level route and surface briefing, including contamination, unevenness, lighting and weather. No exact current live owner observed; repository and gated-content check remains a publication gate.

Product/link: Link to the toolbox-talk hub only after its AI generation, phone sign-off and storage claims are evidenced or corrected. This draft does not assert those capabilities. Disposition: READY for writer-side handoff, subject to final host and route verification.