The prolonged icy weather has served to highlight the dangers of slip accidents. In the six days before Christmas our local hospital, Kettering General, saw around a seven-fold increase in admissions and emergency surgeries due to slips. These included: 3 dislocated hips, 18 broken ankles, 31 fractured wrists, 20 fractured hips, 7 head injuries and 5 other limb injuries.

The hazard is not limited to external areas with snow being transported across barrier matting as a solid before melting elsewhere. This could be a serious liability for those with floors achieving a PTV of <36 in the wet.