Slip and Anti Slip Fabrics Cut Physical and Financial Costs
Published 19th September 2025
The latest Labour Force Survey for 2023/24 shows exactly why slip and anti slip fabrics, like those supplied by Redwood, play such an important role in the healthcare sector.
The figures show that more than half a million UK workers suffer from a new or long-standing musculoskeletal problem, with 168,000 new cases in 2023/24 alone. 43% of these cases were the kind of back-related injuries sustained during manual handling, with a further 37% affecting the upper limbs and neck.
No less than 7.8 million working days were lost in 2023/24 due to these problems, with workplace injuries as a whole costing the economy an estimated £21.6 billion every year. Government figures show that workers in human health and social work are by far the most likely to experience ill health as a result of their occupations. This is more than construction workers, agricultural workers and even workers in mining and quarrying.
Behind the numbers
Of course, behind the statistics, there are real people experiencing real issues, including emotional and personal problems, as a NICE report on the issue explains:
‘There is a risk that lifting or moving tasks can cause injuries to the person being moved, such as damage to the skin, bruising or cuts. Poor moving and handling practice can also lead to discomfort and a lack of dignity for the person being moved.’
It’s not just the patients that suffer; staff are also at significant risk according to NICE:
‘Handling tasks can also put the handler at significant risk of musculoskeletal injury. Injuries to the back are most common with the lifetime prevalence of lower back and shoulder pain among nurses is 65% and 54%, respectively.’
The report concludes that musculoskeletal injuries result in costs to the healthcare system and productivity loss, as well as job dissatisfaction in the longer term. This is why there are so many pieces of legislation governing the safety of manual handling, including:
Redwood have the slip and anti slip fabrics you need
Clearly there is both a statutory need, and a moral obligation, to protect your workforce when undertaking manual handling tasks. It also makes sound financial sense to avoid the cost of sick days and compensation claims arising from incidents and accidents.
That’s why, here at Redwood, we have been working in close partnership with the medical sector for decades to tackle the issues surrounding manual handling. In that time, we have created a range of fabrics and finished products that help you to protect your patients and your team.
We also source the very latest slip and anti slip fabric technologies from across the world, to give you the highest possible levels of protection. Some of these coatings can be specified to reduce friction, making it easier to move patients with less load and strain on the staff involved. Other coatings can be used to create anti slip fabrics that prevent unwanted movement, in order to avoid the kind of accidents where staff try to ‘catch’ a falling patient and are injured in the process.
Redwood’s advanced slip and anti slip fabrics can be supplied as fabric only, for your own manufacturing, or they can be supplied in a range of finished patient moving and handling equipment designed to deliver safe and practical manual handling support, including slings, slide sheets, trolley mattresses and stretchers.
To find out more about the many benefits of slip and anti slip fabrics and products from Redwood, get in touch with our team today.
