New guidance helps schools manage risks and prevent slips and trips

Slips and trips are the single most common cause of injury in educational settings, accounting for 55% of all accidents¹. 37% of liability claims from Ecclesiastical Insurance’s education customers are attributable to slips or trips, with the average claim costing around £13,500².

With large numbers of people moving around the site at the same time, preventing slips and trips in educational settings can be challenging.

The new guidance highlights best practice and offers practical advice to prevent slips and trips.

The guidance modules cover risk assessments, the law, managing slips and trips, and prevention.

Top tips to reduce slips and trips in educational establishments

• Make sure any risk assessments consider the potential for slips and trips for all accessible areas
• Involve staff in identifying what needs to be done, providing them with information and training if necessary
• When deciding on what precautions are needed, make sure that they will work in practice given your circumstances
• Complete periodic checks or inspections to make sure that access routes remain safe
• Be able to evidence what you have done in the event of a claim

Faith Kitchen, education director at Ecclesiastical said: “We recognise that it’s an incredibly challenging time for the sector. As a specialist insurer we believe that we can provide real insight and knowledge of the sectors in which we operate. We know from our own research that teachers believe risk management is key to creating a safe environment in schools. Ecclesiastical’s dedicated team of risk experts have developed this new guidance to help schools and other education establishments manage slips and trips risks as they continue to adapt to providing education in an ever-changing world.”

The guidance modules are available to view on our Education Risk Management guidance, to help schools and education establishments manage strategic and operational risks.

The online portal, available to Ecclesiastical customers, provides insight, information, tools, checklists and a dedicated risk advice line. 

Read more information or speak to your insurance broker.

¹Health and Safety Executive

² Ecclesiastical claims data