Managing slippery floor in FM practice
We have all, at some time or another, struggled to keep our feet firmly on a slippery wet floor whether it is at home, at work, or whilst out shopping. Public places such as supermarkets, fast food outlets and shopping malls are just a few of the places where the risk of injury from something as simple as how we walk on a floor, are all too common.
Slip accidents cause injury to tens of thousands of people every year with many cases resulting in permanent disability or even death. It is extremely difficult to determine the number of such cases in Nigeria. Often times, I see cleaners mopping floors without the “caution wet floor” sign being used to warn people around of the danger of walking on a wet floor. The UK insurance industry, I understand, pays out more compensation to victims of slip accidents than any other form of accident except motor accidents with £262 million per annum being reported.
In many cases, the use of cleaning products is the main cause of slip risk, and whilst it is not always possible to ensure “legal floor safety standards” from the introduction of a more suitable cleaning product alone, it can be a huge help, not only to commercial business’ but to homeowners who need to maintain a safe floor. If it is not possible to keep a floor clean and dry, or ensure the correct footwear is worn, then Facilities Managers must make sure the right cleaning products are used.
The starting point with cleaning products is to check the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) to see if there are any tell tale signs. It contains information on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical product. It is essential for the development of a complete health and safety program by facilities managers. A word of caution to note is that manufacturers can be very smart when it comes to pH (potential hydrogen) levels and be very creative with wording when it comes to the regulations. PH is the measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. I have seen chemicals that are harmful described merely as an ‘irritant’.
A few years ago, the NHS in the UK understandably expected that the cleaning product it had been purchasing was helping to minimize the risk of slips. The product, made by a reputable manufacturer, had been described as ‘slip resistant’. An independent floor safety test later discovered that the floor slip risk in the product was as high as you can get
It can be a real minefield trying to assess a cleaning product if you do not know what you are looking for. I have seen facilities managers, flooring contractors and even cleaning companies think they are using the correct product only to discover they are adding to the slip risk in their buildings. The best way to avoid or minimize slip risk is to seek advice from those who have real knowledge of the product and type of floor in question before getting started.
This simple step may be the difference between someone getting injured on your premises, costing your business a significant amount in increased insurance premiums or compensation and not to mention the negative publicity.
Tunde Obileye