Posted By Steven John Nelson
I am a H&S Advisor in Local Authority. Many hundreds of are employees work in kitchens, in different establishments including schools & residential care homes. I am aware of HSE's excellent guidance on preventing slips including EIS2, CIS6 & HS2, and fully understand that the prefered risk reduction measures include, ensuring suitable flooring is provided, and that work is organsied & equipment managed so as to minimise [slippery] contamination. However, I am of the view that it is not possible &/or practicable to prevent all [slippery] contamination in kitchen environments, and because of the nature of the "secondary hazards" in the kitchen (eg hot liquids, sharp knifes, dangerous machinery) more could & should be done to minmise the risk of slipping in kitchens. Accidents in kitchens, both within our establishments & nationally, have included employees "frying" their arms in deep fat fryers after slipping, & a lady bleeding to death after sliping into a sharp hand knife being carried across a kitchen with a slippery floor. We should therefore, in my view, provide [free] anti-slip footwear to our catering employees.

It appears, however, that anti-slip footwear is not commonly provided in catering &/or food preparation areas (eg chip shops), and therefore I haven't yet convinced [my] managers of the need to &/or cost benefits of our employees using anti-slip footwear in our kitchens.

Please can someone help &/or advise ? How prevalent is the use of anti-slip footwear in the catering sector ? Can anyone provide info on any anti-slip footwear products, good or bad, they have used ?

Posted By Ken Taylor
I agree. The main safety footwear suppliers have white anti-slip safety shoes for kitchen areas and they are widely used.

Posted By Mark Bywater
I agree Karen, Shoes for Crews are an excellent choice here.

I went to an HSE presentation on ST&F through the Yorkshire Food & Drink Safety Forum and they quoted an abbatoir in S Yorkshire which had not had one ST or F in 34 months.
Think about those slippery floors and it was SFC who provided that footwear.

Regards,
Mark

Posted By Katie Hoyland
ground in grime provides excellent adhesion