Workplace Safety: Slips, Trips and Falls

B1 video lesson on workplace accidents, injuries, hazards and simple safety advice.

Lesson Overview

Students watch a workplace safety video about slips, trips and falls. The lesson practises B1 language for accidents, injuries, workplace hazards and simple safety advice.

Before you watch

What things can make people fall at work?
Which workplaces are more dangerous: offices, factories or construction sites?
What safety rules do people sometimes ignore?

Workplace Safety

Open video on YouTube

Prep

Drag the correct ending into each gap.

1. If someone slips,...

2. If someone trips,...

3. If a passageway is blocked,...

4. If an area is well lit,...

5. If someone reports a danger,...

6. If people work in a hurry,...

Mixed answer options

people can see clearly there.they tell the company about a safety problem.their foot slides and they lose balance.people cannot walk through it easily.accidents are more likely.they hit their foot on something and fall.

Watch the Video

Watch the full video once from beginning to end. Focus on the causes of slips, trips and falls, the injuries they can cause, and the safety advice at the end.

Focus: slips, trips, falls, injuries, stairs, car parks, passageways, cables, lighting, cleaning, shoes and reporting dangers.

Open full video

Comprehension

Click each question to reveal the answer.

0:04How many workplace accidents happen in Finland every year because of slips, trips and falls?

More than 20,000 accidents happen every year.

0:12How many days off work do these accidents cause?

They cause employees to take more than 350,000 days off work.

0:18What common injuries are mentioned?

People often strain, sprain or fracture their arms or legs.

0:34What happened in the first example?

An employee slipped when entering a building, fell down stairs and died from his injuries.

0:55Why did employees have to walk around a passageway?

Stuff had been left blocking the passageway.

1:20What happened at a construction site?

An employee tripped over cables and broke his wrist.

1:34How can workplaces prevent similar accidents?

They can plan workspaces and access routes so they are neat and tidy, and do risk assessments.

2:24What should employees do to stay safe?

They should take enough time, wear suitable shoes, focus on one thing, put things back and report dangers.

Vocabulary from the Video

More than 20,000 accidents happen at every year.

People can strain, sprain or fracture their arms or .

A dark car park can be .

Do not block floors and access .

Good lighting improves workplace .

Always report any that you notice.

Mixed options

routesdangerousworkdangerslegssafety

Vocabulary Review

Word / phrase	Meaning	Example
slip	to slide accidentally and lose balance	He slipped on the floor.
trip	to hit your foot on something and fall	She tripped over a cable.
fall	to go down suddenly to the ground	He fell down the stairs.
strain	to hurt a muscle by using it too much	He strained his back.
sprain	to hurt a joint by twisting it	He sprained his knee.
fracture	to break a bone	She fractured her arm.
fatal	causing death	A blow to the head can be fatal.
passageway	a place where people walk through	Do not block the passageway.
access route	a way into or through a place	Keep access routes clear.
risk assessment	a check for possible dangers	Risk assessments help identify dangerous places.
safety measures	actions that reduce danger	Good lighting is a safety measure.
handrail	a rail people hold on stairs	Use the handrail on the stairs.
slip-resistant	designed to stop slipping	Slip-resistant floors improve safety.
report a danger	tell someone about a risk	Report a danger when you notice it.

Collocations

slips, trips and

days off

a flight of

a dark car

access

suitable

Mixed options

stairsroutesfallsshoesparkwork

Phrasal Verb Questions

What can happen if workers fall the stairs?

Why should employees clean dangerous areas?

What should workers pick from the floor?

Why should people slow when they are in a hurry?

What dangers should workers look in the workplace?

Mixed options

upout fordowndownup

Speaking extension: Answer the five phrasal verb questions with a partner. Then choose the three most important safety rules.

B1 Grammar: Imperatives for Safety Advice

We use imperatives to give clear instructions and safety rules.

Positive imperative	Negative imperative
Wear suitable shoes.	Don’t block access routes.
Report dangers.	Don’t leave cables on the floor.
Keep your eyes open.	Don’t hurry on stairs.

Grammar Exercise 1: Complete the safety rules

suitable shoes for the weather.

access routes clear.

any dangers you notice.

floors or passageways.

cables on the ground.

Mixed options

Don’t blockKeepDon’t leaveWearReport

Grammar Exercise 2: Error Correction

Click each sentence to reveal the correction.

Don’t leaves cables on the ground.

Don’t leave cables on the ground.

Wears suitable shoes.

Wear suitable shoes.

To report any dangers.

Report any dangers.

Don’t blocking the passageway.

Don’t block the passageway.

Grammar Exercise 3: Sentence Transformations

Use a positive imperative.
You should wear suitable shoes.

Use “Don’t”.
You should not block access routes.

Use a positive imperative.
You should report dangers.

Discussion

What is the most common cause of falls at work?
Why do people sometimes leave things on the floor?
What should a company do if a passageway is blocked?
Why is good lighting important?
What kind of shoes are safe for your workplace?
Why are accidents more likely when people are in a hurry?
What dangers should workers report immediately?

Useful Language

Giving advice	Explaining danger	Agreeing
You should... Don’t... It’s important to...	This is dangerous because... Someone could...	I agree because... That’s a good point.

Role Play: Workplace Safety Check

Situation: A safety officer visits a workplace and notices several dangers: cables on the floor, poor lighting, blocked passageways and people working in a hurry.

Student A: Safety Officer

Explain the dangers and give clear safety instructions using imperatives.

Student B: Team Leader

Ask questions, explain why the problems happened and agree on actions to fix them.

Challenge

Use at least five phrases from the lesson: slip, trip, fall, access route, report dangers, clean up, look out for.

Safety officer language	Team leader language
Don’t leave... Keep... clear. Report...	We can fix this by... The problem happened because... We will...