1. Purpose and Scope
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) sets the requirements for preventing slips, trips, and falls across all facilities operated by [Organisation Name].
This procedure applies to all employees, contractors, and visitors in all operational areas, including front-of-house, back-of-house, stockrooms, offices, and exterior walkways. It covers staff-only zones and customer-accessible spaces alike.
Our core policy on surface safety is simple: see it, fix it or guard it, and report it. Never walk past a spill, trailing cord, loose obstruction, or surface hazard.
Working through related paperwork at the same time? See also our UK Slips, Trips & Falls Prevention Template, NY Retail Worker Safety Act Policy Template and California Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Template.
2. Regulatory Reference
This procedure aligns with federal General Industry Walking-Working Surfaces standards (29 CFR 1910 Subpart D). These standards require that:
- Walking-working surfaces stay clean, orderly, and sanitary.
- Workroom floors remain clean and, where feasible, dry.
- Operations line wet processes with adequate drainage, platforms, or dry standing places.
- Surfaces stay free of hazardous conditions like spills, loose boards, and obstructions.
- Teams conduct regular inspections and fix or guard hazards immediately.
Follow local building codes, fire codes, and state safety regulations whenever they set stricter standards than federal law.
3. Roles and Responsibilities
- [Safety Lead / Role]: Owns this procedure. Oversees the inspection schedule, tracks incident trends, and approves funding for physical controls like matting, drainage, lighting, and floor repairs.
- [Managers and Supervisors]: Inspect floors during shifts, enforce footwear rules, and resolve or escalate reported hazards the same day.
- [All Staff]: Clean or guard hazards immediately, report issues they cannot fix themselves, and keep work areas clean to established standards.
- [Maintenance / Contractor]: Fixes reported surface defects within [Timeframe] based on severity and maintains exterior walkways during bad weather.
4. Walking-Working Surface Standards
- Floors: Keep floors clean, organized, and dry wherever work permits. Fit wet processes with proper drainage, anti-slip mats, or dry standing platforms.
- Walkways and Aisles: Keep aisles clear across their full width at all times. Never stage inventory, deliveries, trash, or equipment in walkways.
- Cords and Hoses: Route cords and hoses outside pedestrian paths. If a cord must cross a walkway, cover it with a heavy-duty protector. Do not tape cords to the floor as a permanent fix.
- Stairs: Keep treads sound, nosings visible, handrails secure, and lights working. Never store items on stairways.
- Mats and Runners: Ensure mats lie flat with intact edges and non-slip backing that grips the floor. Remove and replace curled or damaged mats immediately.
- Exterior Routes: Keep parking areas, walkways, and entrances well lit. Report and mark potholes or uneven ground. Treat snow and ice per the [Winter Operations Plan] before opening.
- Surface Defects: Report structural defects (such as broken tiles, raised floor edges, or worn treads) to [System / Contact Name]. Guard or cordon off the area until repairs are complete.
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5. Spill Response Procedure
- Own the hazard: Take immediate ownership of any spill you find. Guard the area before fetching supplies. Never leave an open spill unattended without a barrier or warning sign.
- Warn and mark: Stand at or mark the spill location immediately to warn passersby. Have a coworker grab the spill response kit and warning signs from [Location].
- Position signage: Place wet-floor signs at all entry points to the area, not just in the middle of the wet spot.
- Clean effectively: Clean the spill using the specific chemical treatment listed in the facility spill matrix at [Location] (such as absorbents for grease and oil, or detergent scrub and rinse for organic material).
- Dry the surface: Dry the floor completely using clean mops or squeegees. Keep warning signs in place until the floor dries, then remove them promptly.
- Log the incident: Record the spill in [System / Log Name] with the location, time, substance, and root cause. Escalate repeat spills in one area to [Role] to evaluate engineering controls.
6. Housekeeping Routine
- Shift-Start Inspection: Inspect your work area before starting. Check that floors are clean and dry, paths are clear, mats lie flat, and lights work. Fix or report problems before starting operations.
- Continuous Maintenance: Clean continuously throughout your shift. Throw away packaging immediately, put away deliveries upon receipt, and clear temporary obstructions as they appear.
- Scheduled Floor Cleaning: Run wet cleaning routines at [Times] following approved methods for the floor surface. Post warning signs throughout the drying process. Clean in sections to leave a dry walking path where possible.
- High-Risk Zone Monitoring: Sweep or spot-clean high-risk areas (entrances, beverage stations, ice machines, dishwashing areas, loading bays) at least every [Frequency].
- Shift-End Closure: Run a final check at shift end. Verify floors are clean and dry, aisles are clear, stairways are clear of objects, and exterior lights are on.
- Verification: Sign the housekeeping log at [System / Location] at the end of every shift.
7. Footwear Requirements
- Staff assigned to [Kitchen, Dishwashing, Stockroom, or designated high-risk areas] must wear slip-resistant footwear meeting [Standard / Specification].
- All staff on duty must wear closed-toe, flat, secure shoes with slip-resistant, unworn soles.
- Inspect shoe soles for wear every [Frequency]. Replace footwear once the tread wears down.
- Managers and supervisors must check footwear compliance during shift-start inspections.
8. Reporting, Recordkeeping, and Review
- Incident Reporting: Log all slips, trips, falls, and near-misses involving staff, contractors, or visitors in [System / Record Name] within [Timeframe] of the event. Reports must capture surface conditions, footwear type, lighting levels, and contributing factors.
- Record Retention: Store housekeeping logs, spill logs, inspection records, and incident reports at [System / Location] for at least [Retention Period].
- Performance Review: [Role] will review incident logs every [Frequency] to spot trends, repeat problem areas, or systemic hazards.
- Procedure Review: Review this SOP every [Frequency, e.g., annually] or immediately after any serious fall incident.
Document Owner: [Role] Approval Date: [Date] Next Review Date: [Date]
FAQs on a slips, trips and falls prevention procedure
What is a slips, trips and falls prevention procedure?
A slips, trips and falls prevention procedure sets the requirements for preventing slips, trips, and falls across all facilities operated by your organisation.
Having it written down means the same rules apply to everyone, so managers are not making judgement calls case by case under pressure.
What does a slips, trips and falls prevention procedure include?
This template covers regulatory reference, walking-working surface standards, spill response procedure and housekeeping routine.
Every section is written to be filled in. The bracketed placeholders mark the decisions that are yours to make, such as timescales, approval owners and retention periods.
How to implement a slips, trips and falls prevention procedure with Whale
Copy this template into Whale and work through the bracketed placeholders so it reflects how your organisation actually operates.
Assign it to the teams it applies to so it sits where people work rather than in a shared drive, and set a review date so it gets revisited on schedule instead of quietly going out of date.
Use our templates to fast-track your documentation
Customize this template and 100s of others for free in Whale, the fastest way to get your team aligned.