The Law

South African law makes several specific references to slips and falls, in the context of Occupational Health and Safety and other legislation. Below are some extracts of the law:

General housekeeping in the workplace

Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993) Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, 1987 Sect 6.2: “An employer shall… keep all floors, walkways, stairs, passages and gangways in a good state of repair, skid-free and free of obstructions, waste or materials.”

Sanitation facilities in the workplace

Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 Facilities Regulations, 1990: “4. Every employer shall, under the circumstances contemplated in Table 4 of Part P of SABS 0400, provide showers for the use of his employees, and he shall… ensure that the walls of that part of a room in which there are showers, are smooth and impermeable, and that the floor thereof is slip-free and sloped for effective drainage.”

Swimming pools and spa baths

Public Health By-laws of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (Chapter 12): “…the surface of the floor area surrounding any spa-bath or swimming-pool must be constructed of an impervious, non-slip material…”

Health and safety at large events

Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act, 2010 (Act No. 2 of 2010) Sect 45: “A stadium or venue must be equipped with a first aid room… [which] must have easy to clean non-slip floors and wall surfaces…”

Facilities for persons with disabilities

SANS 10400 Part S of the National Building Regulations, issued in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977 (Act No. 103 of 1977): “4.5.1 Floor and ground surfaces form an integral part of the accessible route throughout the site, both internally and externally, as part of the continuous path of travel. They shall be stable, firm and slip resistant (see SANS 784), under wet and dry conditions.”

Safety in child-care premises

Public Health By-laws of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (Chapter 14): “Child-care premises on which children under compulsory school-going age are cared for, must… ensure the health and safety of children using that area… be free of any surface which may adversely impact on the health and safety of children using that area.”

Safety in frail care facilities

The Older Persons Act, 2006 (Act No. 13 of 2006) updated with Regulations – Notice No. R. 260 and Notice No. R, 11, 2010, both in Government Gazette No. 33075 dated 1 April 2010: This Act requires that buildings and facilities are accessible to residents by non-slip and non-shining floors, including in the following areas: examination / treatment rooms, passages, steps, staircases and ramps, bathroom facilities, toilets and dining room.