Hospital trust improves floor cleaning after a slip

A hospital worker opened the door of a meeting room and stepped into the corridor. She slipped and fell, as the vinyl floor had just been cleaned and was still wet. Although she was not seriously injured, this was largely a matter of chance – there was the potential for a serious injury on another occasion.

An HSE inspector happened to witness the incident and immediately made enquiries about how floor cleaning operations were managed by the Trust. He was sufficiently concerned to issue an Improvement Notice. The main concerns were:

The Improvement Notice required the setting up of suitable cleaning regimes and safe systems of work to prevent pedestrians stepping onto a wet floor. It also required the Trust to set up a system to ensure that the new procedures were working, including appointing someone to be responsible for monitoring them.

The Trust responded promptly and positively to comply with the Notice. They put in place improved systems and procedures, including:

Updated 2021-06-02