Recurring concern

Unsafe walking surfaces creating trip hazards

First to latest report 8 Jul 2014 — 17 May 2021

Reports that mention this concern
6
Times this concern has been raised
6
Stated actions linked to this concern
9

What this concern includes

Includes unsafe walking surfaces in occupied, public or operational settings where unevenness, disrepair, loose materials, displacement, gaps or comparable surface defects create a material trip hazard, including the surface around mezzanine openings and loose flooring or uneven pedestrian surfaces.

What is not included
  • Excludes hazards limited to slipping, inadequate lighting, obstructed visibility, dangerous edges or falls where the walking surface itself is not deficient.
  • Excludes road, pavement or crossing defects when the report supports a distinct named highway, pedestrian-crossing or road-surface concern as the more specific boundary.
  • Excludes stairs, ramps or access routes where the shared unsafe condition is inadequate handrails, edge protection, gradient or slip resistance rather than a trip-producing surface defect.
  • Excludes generic premises maintenance or inspection failures where no unsafe walking-surface or trip-hazard condition is identified.

Reports and published responses 6 reports

See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response

  1. Gwent

    AI-generated summary

    Lynne Pamela Lawrence · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Lynne Lawrence tripped on an uneven pavement on 21 September 2020 and sustained a head injury that was not initially diagnosed on scan. She later collapsed, suffered an intracerebral haemorrhage worsened by warfarin, and died in hospital on 23 September 2020; the report raised concern about the condition of the pavement and potential risks to people, especially those with reduced mobility.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Uneven pedestrian pavement

    Wider context from the report

    “1. Condition of Pavement on At the time of her fall, Mrs Lawrence was walking along a narrow pedestrian pavement near ████████, Alma Street, Brynmawr, Newport, NP23. The video footage available to me at the inquest demonstrated that the pavement was uneven. Whilst I could not conclude that it was the unevenness of the pavement that caused Mrs Lawrence to fall, nonetheless I consider that this is a factor which could people's lives at risk in the future, especially the elderly with reduced mobility. ”

    Source location

    Lynne Pamela Lawrence · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Adopt risk-based highway service levels informed by the national code and CSSW principles, exceeding national minimum safety and maintenance intervention standards.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “To assist authorities in meeting their duties National Guidance is provided and the methods adopted are based upon the contents of the following “Well-Managed Highway Infrastructure: A Code of Practice (CoP), UK Roads Liaison Group, 2016”. The Code is designed to promote the adoption of an integrated asset management approach to highway infrastructure based on the establishment of local levels through risk-based assessment. The Authority have developed their own levels of service based on the above Code, along with adopting the County Surveyors”

    Source location

    2021-0158-Response-from-Blaenau-Gwent-County-Borough-Council-Redacted
    Page 1 · response
    Published 18 May 2021

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Implement asset hierarchies, inspection frequencies and repair regimes for managing highway and footway maintenance.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Details of asset hierarchy, inspection and repair regimes are adopted by the Council and implemented. For the purpose of managing maintenance Councils allocate a hierarchy level to each road and footway to establish inspection frequencies and repair regimes. The most significant factor affecting the risk presented to users is the level of use. As no footfall data is available in many situations across the council, officer judgement is used to estimate footfall for different footways in order to apply the CSSW principles.”

    Source location

    2021-0158-Response-from-Blaenau-Gwent-County-Borough-Council-Redacted
    Page 2 · response
    Published 18 May 2021

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Train and accredit highway inspectors to assess public highway condition at specified competency levels.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The Highway Authority deploys Highway Inspector’s to undertake a regime of inspections to monitor the condition and repair needs of the public highway, they have received and passed accredited training programmes for specific competency levels to allow them to assess the condition of the public highway.”

    Source location

    2021-0158-Response-from-Blaenau-Gwent-County-Borough-Council-Redacted
    Page 2 · response
    Published 18 May 2021

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    The raised paving is below the intervention threshold and is not considered a risk to highway users.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Highway Inspections prior to the accident in July 2020 and post accident in January 2021 have not identified defects approaching this standard >25mm. A further assessment on receipt of the Regulation 28 report has been undertaken and although the footway reconstruction has raised paving <16mm (photo’s attached) they are not at a standard that the Highway Authority would intervene or consider a risk to highway user and as such there are no proposals for BGBCBC Highway Authority to take remedial works actions at this location.”

    Source location

    2021-0158-Response-from-Blaenau-Gwent-County-Borough-Council-Redacted
    Page 4 · response
    Published 18 May 2021

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Existing risk-based inspection and repair standards are considered sufficient, so no remedial works are proposed at this location.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Highway Inspections prior to the accident in July 2020 and post accident in January 2021 have not identified defects approaching this standard >25mm. A further assessment on receipt of the Regulation 28 report has been undertaken and although the footway reconstruction has raised paving <16mm (photo’s attached) they are not at a standard that the Highway Authority would intervene or consider a risk to highway user and as such there are no proposals for BGBCBC Highway Authority to take remedial works actions at this location.”

    Source location

    2021-0158-Response-from-Blaenau-Gwent-County-Borough-Council-Redacted
    Page 4 · response
    Published 18 May 2021

    Open published response

  2. Nottinghamshire

    AI-generated summary

    Stanislawa Kmiecik · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Stanislawa Kmiecik entered an inaccessible mezzanine area in a Nottingham store and fell approximately 18 feet through an open space to the basement floor, sustaining multiple injuries and dying at the scene. The concerns identified included public and staff access to the area, lack of warning signage and fall protection, uneven flooring, and the risk of objects falling through the openings onto people below.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Uneven and deteriorated surface surrounding the mezzanine openings

    Wider context from the report

    “(6) The surface area surrounding the openings is uneven and in a state of disrepair, posing a trip hazard to any member of staff or the public in the vicinity and increasing the risk of inadvertently falling from height. ”

    Source location

    Stanislawa Kmiecik · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Infilling the voids with steel plates.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “• infilling the voids with steel plates ;”

    Source location

    2019-0258-Response-by-URBN-UK-Limited
    Page 2 · response
    Published 6 September 2019

    Open published response

  3. Suffolk

    AI-generated summary

    Brian Alban Frost · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Brian Alban Frost, a 92-year-old retired Roman Catholic priest who lived alone, died after an unwitnessed fall at home on 30 June 2018, sustaining severe head injuries. The report raised concerns about loose kitchen floor tiles presenting a trip hazard and about the inadequacy of welfare checks and health-and-safety risk assessments for retired clergy living in diocesan properties.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Unsafe loose and displaced flooring creating a trip hazard in occupied accommodation

    Wider context from the report

    “2. Photographic evidence produced during the inquest of Canon Frost clearly demonstrates that the floor tiles in his kitchen had become loose and were no longer fastened to the floor. One of the floor tiles is completely out of position and the others appear to be loose with large gaps between the tiles themselves. In his witness statement ████████ commented “the flooring where Canon Frost would have fallen was very loose and could have been a trip hazard for Canon Frost.” 3. Considering his frailty, the fact he lived alone and the medical conditions suffered by Canon Frost, on the available evidence this flooring was clearly not safe by any measure. In evidence it was heard that the flooring is sufficiently porous that it will need to be replaced prior to the re-occupation/sale of the property. ”

    Source location

    Brian Alban Frost · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

  4. Suffolk

    AI-generated summary

    Brian Alban Frost · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Brian Alban Frost died after an unwitnessed fall at home in which he sustained severe head injuries. The report identifies loose kitchen floor tiles as a serious trip hazard and raises concerns that welfare checks for retired priests living in diocesan properties did not include independent health and safety or risk assessments, allowing hazards to remain unidentified and unrepaired.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Unsafe loose kitchen flooring creating a trip hazard

    Wider context from the report

    “2. Photographic evidence produced during the inquest of Canon Frost clearly demonstrates that the floor tiles in his kitchen had become loose and were no longer fastened to the floor. One of the floor tiles is completely out of position and the others appear to be loose with large gaps between the tiles themselves. In his witness statement ████████ commented “the flooring where Canon Frost would have fallen was very loose and could have been a trip hazard for Canon Frost.” 3. Considering his frailty, the fact he lived alone and the medical conditions suffered by Canon Frost, on the available evidence this flooring was clearly not safe by any measure. In evidence it was heard that the flooring is sufficiently poor that it will need to be replaced prior to the re-occupation/sale of the property. ”

    Source location

    Brian Alban Frost · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Conduct full internal, external, fabric, condition, and health and safety assessments informed by each priest’s health and mobility.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “• The Surveyor will carry out a full external and internal assessment of the property’s fabric and condition, together with a Health and Safety Assessment informed by the advice of the Welfare Officer about the health and mobility of the Priest;”

    Source location

    2018-0362-Response
    Page 4 · response
    Published 26 April 2019

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Discuss survey findings with the priest and organise, approve, and fund identified property or health and safety repairs through the surveyor.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “• At the end of the survey the Surveyor, the Welfare Officer and the Priest will discuss the findings of the survey. Any repair works noted as being needed or recommended from a property or health and safety perspective will be agreed with the Priest and organised by the Surveyor, who will agree with the Priest suitable times for access and will manage and approve the works. The costs will be borne by the Diocese;”

    Source location

    2018-0362-Response
    Page 4 · response
    Published 26 April 2019

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    The Diocese did not accept breach of repairing obligations without a specific indication that the floor tiles presented a problem.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “As a landlord (or de facto landlord) it had few other legal obligations, whether through the English law of real property or canon law in relation to the interior condition of the property. In particular, the Diocese does not accept it was in breach of any repairing obligations it may have had, certainly in the absence of any specific indication that there was a problem with the floor tiles.”

    Source location

    2018-0362-Response
    Page 3 · response
    Published 26 April 2019

    Open published response

  5. Exeter and Greater Devon

    AI-generated summary

    Michael Dean YOUNGHUSBAND · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Michael Dean Younghusband, aged 22, was struck by a train while apparently walking along the railway between Exmouth and Lympstone after drinking alcohol, suffering non-survivable injuries. His family raised concern about the poor state of repair of a nearby crossing, including a metal section standing proud of the track bed that they believed was a potential tripping hazard.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Potential tripping hazard from a metal section standing proud of the crossing track bed

    Wider context from the report

    “(1) The poor state of the crossing point was of concern to Mr Younghusband’s family as they believed it was a potential tripping hazard as they had observed a metal section, on the Lympstone side of that crossing, standing proud of the track bed. ”

    Source location

    Michael Dean YOUNGHUSBAND · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Complete ballast surface improvement works at the crossing to minimise stepping hazards.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The last routine inspection of the level crossing prior to Mr Younghusband’s death took place on 16 September 2015. The LCM noted that the track ballast was low to the level crossing so he built it up again. A more recent inspection took place on 4th March 2016 followed by another site check 21 June 2016 revealed that the ballast had moved again, so in late June the LCM discussed with maintenance colleagues the fitting of more substantial ‘ballast boxes’ so as to contain movement more effectively and minimise the stepping involved. I am happy to confirm that ballast surface improvement works were completed at the crossing point on 20 July 2016. Further the edges of any trip hazards have been clearly marked in order to highlight them to the public.”

    Source location

    2016-0235-Response-by-Network-Rail
    Page 2 · response
    Published 23 June 2016

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Clearly mark the edges of trip hazards at the crossing to highlight them to the public.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “The last routine inspection of the level crossing prior to Mr Younghusband’s death took place on 16 September 2015. The LCM noted that the track ballast was low to the level crossing so he built it up again. A more recent inspection took place on 4th March 2016 followed by another site check 21 June 2016 revealed that the ballast had moved again, so in late June the LCM discussed with maintenance colleagues the fitting of more substantial ‘ballast boxes’ so as to contain movement more effectively and minimise the stepping involved. I am happy to confirm that ballast surface improvement works were completed at the crossing point on 20 July 2016. Further the edges of any trip hazards have been clearly marked in order to highlight them to the public.”

    Source location

    2016-0235-Response-by-Network-Rail
    Page 2 · response
    Published 23 June 2016

    Open published response

    Source evidence

    How this respondent position was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Routine inspections, defect repairs, ballast improvements and hazard marking are considered to have addressed the level crossing’s identified safety issues.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “As with all crossings of this type, it is routinely inspected six-monthly by a Level Crossing Manager (“LCM”), who is responsible for reporting all defects found to maintenance teams. When safe to do so, the LCM carries out certain minor repairs and reports them accordingly.”

    Source location

    2016-0235-Response-by-Network-Rail
    Page 1 · response
    Published 23 June 2016

    Open published response

  6. Somerset (West)

    AI-generated summary

    Anthony Shane Ponting · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Anthony Shane Ponting, a 34-year-old man, was killed on 11 July 2013 while using an authorised pedestrian crossing over the Bristol to Taunton railway line near Highbridge, Somerset. The inquest jury returned an accidental verdict. A report identified potential risks to other crossing users, including reduced sighting time from vegetation, incorrectly positioned S.H.1 boards, and tripping hazards on the crossing surface.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Tripping hazards on the crossing surface

    Wider context from the report

    “(iii) Tripping hazards on the crossing surface ”

    Source location

    Anthony Shane Ponting · Prevention of Future Deaths report
    Page 2 · concerns

    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this respondent action was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Renew the crossing surface with rubber panels free of tripping hazards and check its condition during six-monthly inspections.

    Verbatim wording from the response

    “Concern 5(iii) has been addressed. In early March 2014 and as part of more extensive track works in the area, the surface system was completely renewed in modern rubber panels free of tripping hazards. Again the surface is checked for condition at each six-monthly inspection regime, the next one being in the first week of December 2014.”

    Source location

    2014-0322-Response-by-Network-Rail
    Page 2 · response
    Published 8 July 2014

    Open published response

Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.

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Data last updated 7 September 2026