RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Slip-resistant footwear reduces slips among National Health Service workers in England: a randomised controlled trial JF Occupational and Environmental Medicine JO Occup Environ Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP oemed-2020-106914 DO 10.1136/oemed-2020-106914 A1 Sarah Cockayne A1 Caroline Fairhurst A1 Gillian Frost A1 Mark Liddle A1 Rachel Cunningham-Burley A1 Michael Zand A1 Catherine Hewitt A1 Heather M Iles-Smith A1 Lorraine Green A1 David J Torgerson YR 2021 UL http://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2021/01/15/oemed-2020-106914.abstract AB Objectives Assess the effectiveness of 5* GRIP-rated slip-resistant footwear in preventing slips in the workplace compared to usual footwear (control group).Methods A multicentre, randomised controlled trial; 4553 National Health Service (NHS) staff were randomised 1:1 to the intervention group (provided with 5* GRIP-rated slip-resistant footwear) or the control group. The primary outcome of incidence rate of self-reported slips in the workplace over 14 weeks was analysed using a mixed-effects negative binomial model. Secondary outcome measures included incidence rate of falls from a slip, falls not from a slip, proportion of participants reporting a slip, fall or fracture and time to first slip and fall.Results 6743 slips were reported: 2633 in the intervention group (mean 1.16 per participant, range 0 to 36) and 4110 in the control group (mean 1.80 per participant, range 0 to 83). There was a statistically significant reduction in slip rate in the intervention group relative to the control group (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.63, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.70, p<0.001). Statistically significant differences, in favour of the intervention group, were observed in falls from a slip (IRR 0.51, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.92, p=0.03), the proportion of participants who reported a slip (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.66, p<0.001) or fall (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.99, p=0.04) and time to first slip (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.80, p<0.001).Conclusions The offer and provision of 5* GRIP-rated footwear reduced slips in NHS staff in the workplace.Trial registration number ISRCTN33051393.