How to Investigate a Slip and Fall Incident at Work (Step-by-Step)

Slips, trips, and falls are the second leading cause of workplace injuries in the United States. They happen in every industry — warehouses, offices, construction sites, retail floors. And when one happens at your business, what you do in the next 24 to 48 hours determines whether you end up with a documented, defensible record or a gap-filled report that creates problems later.

This guide walks you through how to investigate a workplace slip, trip, or fall — what evidence to collect, how to identify what actually caused it, and how to document it in a way that holds up to insurer or regulator scrutiny.

Step 1: Secure the Scene and Preserve Evidence

Before anything else, make the area safe. If the hazard that caused the fall is still present — a wet floor, a damaged surface, poor lighting — address it immediately. Then preserve the scene as close to its incident state as possible before it gets cleaned up or repaired.

Take photographs immediately. Capture:

• The exact location where the fall occurred
• The floor surface, including any wet, damaged, or uneven areas
• Footwear worn by the injured worker
• Lighting conditions in the area
• Any signage present — or notably absent
• The surrounding environment including any obstructions or clutter

If there is a wet floor, photograph it before it dries. If there is a damaged surface, photograph it before repair. These images are often the single most important piece of evidence in a slip and fall investigation — and they are gone within hours if you don't capture them.

Step 2: Collect the Right Evidence for a Slip and Fall

Photographs are the starting point, not the end. A thorough slip and fall investigation requires evidence across several categories. Using the PEEPO framework — People, Environment, Equipment, Procedures, Organisation — ensures nothing is missed.

People

• Witness statements — collected as soon as possible, before memories shift
• The injured worker's account of what happened
• Training records — was the worker trained in housekeeping procedures or hazard awareness?
• Supervision records — was adequate supervision in place?

Environment

• Floor condition at time of incident — wet, uneven, recently cleaned, damaged?
• Lighting levels — adequate for the task being performed?
• Weather conditions if near an entry point — rain, mud, snow tracked inside?
• Housekeeping records — when was the area last inspected or cleaned?

Equipment

• Footwear — appropriate for the surface and task?
• Any equipment the worker was carrying or operating at time of fall
• Anti-slip matting — was it present, in good condition, correctly positioned?

Procedures

• Was there a wet floor management procedure? Was it being followed?
• Was there a housekeeping inspection schedule? Was it current?
• Were wet floor signs available and used?

Organisation

• Has this area had previous slip or trip incidents?
• Had any hazards in this area been previously reported?
• Was the cleaning or maintenance schedule adequate for the foot traffic level?

Step 3: Build a Timeline of Events

A timeline reconstructs what happened in the lead-up to the fall — not just the moment of injury. For a slip and fall, the relevant timeline often starts hours or even days before the incident.

Key timeline events to establish:

• When the floor was last cleaned or inspected
• When the hazard first appeared or could reasonably have been identified
• What the worker was doing and where they were going at time of fall
• What happened immediately after — first aid, notifications, scene management

The timeline often reveals the gap between when a hazard existed and when it was addressed — which is directly relevant to whether the business had reasonable systems in place.

Step 4: Identify the Root Cause — Not Just the Immediate Cause

The immediate cause of a slip and fall is usually obvious: wet floor, uneven surface, poor lighting. The root cause is why that hazard existed and wasn't controlled. This is the part most informal investigations skip — and the part that matters most for prevention and documentation.

Apply the 5-Whys method starting from the immediate cause:

• Why did the worker slip? — The floor was wet near the entrance
• Why was the floor wet? — Rain water was being tracked in from outside
• Why wasn't it controlled? — No absorbent matting was in place at the entrance
• Why was no matting in place? — The matting had been removed for cleaning and not replaced
• Why wasn't it replaced? — There was no procedure requiring matting to be reinstated before the area reopened to foot traffic

The root cause is not "wet floor." It is the absence of a reinstatement procedure for slip-prevention controls after cleaning. That is what needs to be addressed to prevent recurrence.

Step 5: Document Recommendations Using the Hierarchy of Controls

Recommendations should address the root cause, not just the immediate cause. Ordering them by the Hierarchy of Controls demonstrates structured thinking and helps prioritise the most effective controls first:

1. Elimination — can the hazard be removed entirely? (e.g. redesign entry layout to reduce water tracking)
2. Substitution — replace the flooring material with a slip-resistant surface
3. Engineering controls — install permanent drainage, covered entry, or non-slip surfacing
4. Administrative controls — establish and document a wet floor management procedure, inspection schedule, and reinstatement checklist
5. PPE — slip-resistant footwear requirement for relevant roles

Recommendations should identify appropriate controls without assigning specific implementation timelines or naming individual responsible parties. The business determines how and when controls are implemented — the investigation identifies what is appropriate.

OSHA Recordkeeping for Slip and Fall Incidents

If your business is required to maintain OSHA injury records — generally applicable to employers with 10 or more employees in most industries — a slip and fall resulting in medical treatment beyond first aid, restricted work, or days away from work is likely OSHA recordable. Your investigation documentation provides the factual basis for completing the OSHA 301 Incident Report accurately.

Recordkeeping requirements vary by industry and employer size. If you are unsure whether a specific incident is OSHA recordable, consult OSHA's guidance or a qualified safety professional.

Note: This article provides general information about workplace incident investigation practices. It does not constitute legal advice. OSHA recordkeeping requirements vary by industry and employer size — consult OSHA's guidance or a qualified safety professional for your specific situation.