Centres on-call to prevent slips, trips and falls

Slips, trips and falls by staff in contact centres across the North West of England are costing the industry dear. However industry leaders have come together with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to draw up new guidance to make such centres safer. Contact centres are one of the fastest growing industries, with the North West having the highest concentration of them in the country, employing over 68,000 people. Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of major injuries in the workplace, causing personal suffering, loss to business through time off and a cost to the health service.

The North West Contact Centre Project was launched on 8 May 2007, at the BT Call Centre in Warrington, and brought together contact centres, health and safety experts, local authorities and union representatives. The guidance produced recommends how such slips, trips and falls can be avoided in the workplace, and suggests:

• avoiding trailing cables by providing cable covers, or through integral desk design;
• providing adequate storage areas for personal articles;
• slip-resistant floors to be installed in areas that are likely to become wet;
• surfaces in kitchens and food serving areas to be kept suitable and clean, with spills cleaned quickly and floors allowed to dry completely before anyone is permitted to walk on them.

For further information on this guidance, contact Clive Naish, HSE Regional Information Officer on tel: 0161 952 4517.