@article {Cockayne472, author = {Sarah Cockayne and Caroline Fairhurst and Gillian Frost and Mark Liddle and Rachel Cunningham-Burley and Michael Zand and Catherine Hewitt and Heather M Iles-Smith and Lorraine Green and David J Torgerson}, title = {Slip-resistant footwear reduces slips among National Health Service workers in England: a randomised controlled trial}, volume = {78}, number = {7}, pages = {472--478}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1136/oemed-2020-106914}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {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.Data are available upon reasonable request. All data requests should be made to the corresponding author and will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Trial Management Group. All data requests will be managed in accordance with York Trials Unit, University of York, processes and procedures.}, issn = {1351-0711}, URL = {https://oem.bmj.com/content/78/7/472}, eprint = {https://oem.bmj.com/content/78/7/472.full.pdf}, journal = {Occupational and Environmental Medicine} }