Slips and trips cost trade millions each year
Slips, trips and falls cost the catering and hospitality industry £31m a year, according to new figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
More than half of accidents reported to the body by the sector last year were mishaps of this type, it said.
The statistics were released as the HSE launched a new campaign, called Shattered Lives, to raise awareness of the impact of seemingly minor accidents in the workplace.
Head of the HSE's Injuries Reduction Programme, Dr Elizabeth Gibby, said: "We suffer from a You've Been Framed culture in this country where slips, trips and falls can appear to be funny.
"But they are actually very serious. They can shatter the lives of the workers and their families and have a major impact on business, particularly for small firms."
She added that accidents in pubs could harm businesses by creating negative local publicity, putting customers off and causing employee absence for months at a time.
But the HSE said there were straightforward measures publicans could take to minimise risks to workers, such as cleaning up spills in the kitchen, where pub accidents are most likely to occur.
Gibby said: "Simple things like making sure the floor is cleaned properly and, if you see a hazard, dealing with it straight away rather than leaving it to someone else help a great deal.
"Those sorts of measures sound routine but they are the kind of thing that save money, time and lives."
