People rarely slip on a clean, dry floor. Contamination is involved in almost all slip accidents, that is anything that ends up on a floor, eg rain water, oil, dust etc. If a floor has a smooth surface (eg standard vinyl, ceramic tiles or varnished wood), even a tiny amount of contamination can be a real slip problem.
Contamination can be introduced by the work activity or by cleaning.
What should you do?
Identify where the contamination is coming from:
- spills
- leaks
- overflow
- cleaning activity
- run-off
- from footwear
Consider how to stop the contamination reaching the floor, ie:
- guards
- drip trays
- lids
- review working practices
- entrance matting
If contamination is inevitable, identify other controls to avoid slips, ie:
- flooring type
- Cleaning
- footwear
Identify the correct cleaning procedure for floors:
Encourage a 'See it, sort it!' mentality to deal with hazards quickly, eg dealing with a spillage, instead of waiting for someone else to deal with it. See Slips and trips - Hazard spotting checklist and Stop spills in kitchens: A good practice guide.
Cleaning
Effective cleaning is an important way of employers managing slips and trips risks
Cleaning is important in managing slips and trips for two reasons:
- cleaning is supposed to deal with contamination that would otherwise lead to slip accidents but
- the cleaning process often introduces slip or trip hazards, ie wet floors, trailing cables, etc
Make sure that staff who carry out cleaning duties have the right information, instruction and training to enable them to carry out their work safely and effectively.
For further information see the information sheet Slips and trips: The importance of floor cleaning. Key points are given below.
Restrict access to wet/drying floors
Consider:
- cleaning during quiet hours when pedestrians are not around
- leave smooth floors dry after cleaning or exclude pedestrians until the floor is dry
- cleaning in sections, so there is a dry path through the area
- using warning signs, but remember to remove them when the area is clean and dry
Choose the right cleaning method
Consider:
- using the right amount of the right cleaning product
- giving detergent enough time to work on greasy floors
- cleaning equipment will only be effective if it is well maintained
- a dry mop or squeegee will reduce floor drying time, but while the floor is damp it will still be slippery
- remove spillages promptly
- make sure that your cleaning method is effective for the type of floor that you have
Case studies
- Oily floors in engineering workshop
- Tackling slips and trips in a further education establishment
- Carpet company fails to maintain their own carpets
- Further contamination case studies
- Further cleaning case studies
- No-one told the cleaners
- Serious burn led to serious fine for fast food company
- Slips, trips and falls online eLearning