If you slipped, tripped or fell at work because your employer failed to keep the floor, walkway or stairs safe, you can usually claim compensation from your employer's insurer, on a no win, no fee basis, within three years. This page explains the rules, the evidence and the figures.
When is my employer liable for a slip, trip or fall at work?
Your employer is liable when it failed to take reasonable care to prevent a foreseeable fall and that failure caused your injury. Simply falling at work is not enough on its own.
- You must show a breach of your employer's duty of care, not only that you fell.
- The question is whether the hazard was one a reasonable employer would have prevented or warned about.
- The employer's usual defence is that it had a reasonable system of inspection and cleaning.
- A spill, loose cable or damaged floor left unaddressed for a long time points to breach.
What does the law say about floors and walkways at work?
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 12, require floors and traffic routes to be suitable and kept free from obstructions and slippery substances. A breach is evidence of negligence.
| Rule | What it requires |
|---|---|
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s.2(1) | Employers must ensure employees' health, safety and welfare so far as reasonably practicable |
| Workplace Regulations 1992, reg 5 | Workplace, equipment and devices must be maintained in efficient working order and good repair |
| Workplace Regulations 1992, reg 9 | Workplaces and surfaces must be kept sufficiently clean |
| Workplace Regulations 1992, reg 10 | Workplaces must have suitable and sufficient lighting |
| Workplace Regulations 1992, reg 12 | Floors and traffic routes must be suitable and kept free of obstructions and of anything that may cause a person to slip, trip or fall |
| Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg 3 | Employers must carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment |
| Common-law duty of care | A safe place of work, a safe system of work and competent staff (Wilsons & Clyde Coal Co v English [1938] AC 57) |
For breaches on or after 1 October 2013, a breach of these regulations does not by itself give you a right to sue, because section 47 of the 1974 Act was amended by section 69 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. The claim is brought in negligence, and the regulations are the benchmark courts use to decide what reasonable care required.
A missing or inadequate risk assessment is strong evidence. A known hazard such as a wet entrance in rainy weather should appear in the employer's risk assessment. For more on what the law expects, see employer responsibility.
What are the most common causes of slips, trips and falls at work?
Wet or contaminated floors, loose or uneven surfaces, trailing cables, poor lighting and obstructed walkways are the most common causes.
- Spillages not cleaned up or cordoned off
- Cables or hoses across walkways
- Worn, loose or damaged flooring and mats
- Poorly lit stairs or corridors
- Wet entrances without matting
- Items stored in walkways or on stairs
- Icy or wet outdoor areas not treated or gritted
- Lack of non-slip flooring in wet areas
Examples of employer negligence
- Failing to carry out regular inspections of flooring and walkways
- Failing to maintain adequate lighting
- No system for dealing with spillages promptly
- Ignoring previous complaints about a hazard
What evidence do I need to prove my employer was negligent?
The strongest evidence is the accident book entry, photographs of the hazard, CCTV and witness statements. Evidence of earlier complaints and the employer's cleaning records also matter.
| Evidence | What it shows | Act within |
|---|---|---|
| Accident book entry | Date, time, place and cause recorded at the time | Same day |
| Photographs of the hazard | Existence, size and position of the hazard | Same day |
| CCTV footage | How long the hazard existed and what staff did | Request immediately — often overwritten within days or weeks |
| Witness details | An independent account of the fall and the hazard | Same week |
| Cleaning and inspection logs | Whether the employer had a working system | Your solicitor requests these |
| Risk assessment | Whether the hazard was identified and controlled | Your solicitor requests this |
| Your footwear (kept unwashed) | Grip and condition, relevant to contributory negligence | Keep from day one |
| Medical records | Injury, cause and prognosis | Seek treatment immediately |
Where there is a spillage and no cleaning system, a court may infer breach from the facts alone. See the evidence guide for more.
What do I need to prove?
The question is not how you fell, but whether your employer took reasonably practicable steps to prevent it. You need to show the hazard was one your employer knew about, or should have known about, and failed to deal with — and that it caused your fall. Evidence that the hazard had been reported before (a recurring leak, a broken step already complained about) makes a claim much stronger. If you fell from a ladder, platform or other height, different rules apply — see fall from height claims.
What injuries can a slip, trip or fall cause?
- Broken bones (wrists, ankles, hips)
- Soft tissue injuries
- Knee injuries
- Back and spinal injuries
- Head injuries
- Lacerations and bruising
How much compensation can I get for a slip, trip or fall at work?
Compensation combines general damages for pain and suffering, taken from the Judicial College Guidelines, with special damages for lost earnings, medical costs and care.
| Injury | Severity | Guideline bracket (general damages) |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Minor — full recovery within about one to two years | £5,750 – £10,420 |
| Back | Moderate (i) | £36,680 – £51,230 |
| Ankle | Moderate | £18,150 – £35,130 |
| Knee | Severe (lowest category) | £34,600 – £57,410 |
| Wrist | Fracture (depends on severity) | £4,670 – £13,670 |
| Shoulder | Moderate | £10,420 – £16,870 |
Brackets are for pain, suffering and loss of amenity only. Lost earnings, treatment and care costs are added. Every case is assessed on its own facts and no outcome is guaranteed. See how compensation is calculated for more brackets.
| Head of loss | Examples |
|---|---|
| General damages | Pain, suffering and loss of amenity, based on the Judicial College Guidelines |
| Past loss of earnings | Net pay lost between the accident and settlement |
| Future loss of earnings | Reduced earning capacity and loss of pension |
| Medical and rehabilitation | Physiotherapy, private treatment, prescriptions |
| Care and assistance | Help from family or paid carers |
| Travel and expenses | Taxis to hospital, parking, adaptations to your home |
What if I was wearing the wrong shoes or ignored a wet floor sign?
Partial fault reduces compensation but does not remove your claim. Under the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945, section 1, damages are reduced by the percentage the court finds you were to blame.
A wet floor sign does not automatically protect your employer. If the wet area was unreasonably large, the sign was hidden, the floor stayed wet for too long, or there was no practicable alternative route, you may still have a claim. Unsuitable footwear can reduce your compensation for contributory negligence, but rarely defeats a claim — particularly if your employer required or allowed that footwear, or the floor was so slippery that suitable shoes would not have helped. Courts treat employees leniently for momentary inattention at work (Caswell v Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries [1940] AC 152).
Being partly at fault reduces compensation in proportion rather than ending the claim. If a court found you 20% responsible for not watching where you were walking on an unsigned wet floor, you would still receive 80% of the award.
What if my employer says it cleaned the floor or put up a sign?
The employer's defence is a reasonable system of inspection and cleaning. Your solicitor tests that system through cleaning logs, staffing levels and how long the hazard existed.
- A cleaning rota that was not followed on the day does not help the employer.
- Signs warn people but do not remove a hazard that could have been cleaned.
- Evidence of earlier similar accidents undermines the reasonable-system defence.
How long do I have to claim for a slip, trip or fall at work?
Usually three years from the date of the fall under the Limitation Act 1980, section 11, or from the date you first knew the injury was significant if that was later.
Children and people who lack mental capacity have different rules, set out in full in the time limits guide. Do not wait: CCTV is often overwritten within weeks and witnesses forget.
What should I do straight after a fall at work?
- Report it the same day and ask for an accident book entry and a copy of it
- Photograph the hazard — the spill, cable, broken paving or missing sign — before it is cleaned up or repaired, and photograph your injuries
- Ask in writing for CCTV to be preserved and note witness names
- See your GP or A&E and say the fall happened at work
- Keep the shoes you were wearing, unwashed
- Keep fit notes, payslips and receipts for any costs
- Contact a solicitor for a free assessment
Slip, trip and fall at work: frequently asked questions
Is a slip at work my employer's fault automatically?
No. You must show your employer failed to take reasonable care and that this failure caused your fall. Simply falling at work is not enough on its own.
Can I claim if I slipped on a spillage that had only just happened?
It depends on whether your employer had a reasonable system for dealing with spillages promptly. A spillage that sat unaddressed for a significant time, or one your employer should have anticipated, is more likely to support a claim than a genuinely just-occurred hazard.
Does CCTV footage matter for a slip, trip or fall claim?
Yes, it can be decisive evidence of how long a hazard was present and how the accident happened. Footage is often overwritten quickly, so ask your employer in writing to preserve it as soon as possible after your accident.
Can I claim if there was no witness?
Yes. Photographs, CCTV, the accident book and your employer's cleaning and inspection records can prove a claim without a witness.
What if I can't remember exactly what I tripped on?
This doesn't automatically prevent a claim — witness accounts, photographs taken soon after, and any accident book entry can help establish what happened even without your own clear recollection of the specific object.
Can I claim if the accident happened outdoors, like on an icy car park?
Yes, provided your employer controlled that area and failed to take reasonable steps such as gritting or signage in foreseeably icy conditions.
What if my employer says I should have seen the hazard?
This relates to contributory negligence, which can reduce but doesn't automatically eliminate compensation. Under the Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945, section 1, the court reduces damages by the percentage it finds you were to blame.
Can I claim if I had a pre-existing back problem?
Yes. Your employer takes you as it finds you, so compensation reflects the extra harm the fall caused, or the years by which it brought forward a condition that would have developed anyway. A medical report separates the two.
More complex questions — such as how partial fault works, or what happens if your employer has gone into administration — are answered in our expert answers. How the fees work is explained in no win no fee accident at work claims.
Primary legal and safety sources
This guide is checked against official sources. The applicable law and limitation rules depend on where in the UK the accident happened.