Whilst most slips and trips are minor, the consequences are not always short-lived, as was evidenced by a woman who suffered a painful fall as she entered a lift.

The floor inside the lift had recently been washed by a firm employed to clean the building, but there was nothing to warn those entering that the floor was still wet. The woman slipped as she entered and badly injured her left hip.

The pain from her injury continued for nearly a year but the company responsible for the building denied any liability for her accident. It went so far as to suggest that the floor had not been slippery and that she had not fallen at all. Fortunately for her, the judge found in her favour and held that the company had been negligent in its health and safety duties. This had resulted in the wet floor being accessible to users of the building without any warning signs being displayed.

Those with control over premises have a duty to ensure, as far as is possible, that floors are kept free from any items or substances likely to cause someone to slip or fall. Where external cleaning contractors are used, those employing them have a responsibility for ensuring that the work they do is carried out in a safe manner.