2009 - Slips and Trips Feature

Health and safety in the workplace begins from the floor – literally. More than just something to walk over, good flooring needs to be considered as an important aid in achieving a safer working environment.

 

Here Alan Dean, sales director of Flowcrete - manufacturers of seamless resin flooring systems for the industrial and commercial sectors – explains how to achieve a safe footing.

 

 “Each year, serious injuries occur because of inappropriate flooring, but they could be avoided. In fact, slips and trips are the most common cause of accidents in the workplace, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

 

“The right floor finish can help limit the risk. Correctly specified, it can give the appropriate level of slip resistance for individual environments, withstand and protect from the dangers of chemicals, oils and greases - and even create demarcation areas and zones for a safer working layout.

 

“A common method of measuring the slip resistance of a floor is the pendulum test, which measures the coefficient of friction of a pendulum foot over a floor. Flooring manufacturers can advise on what the optimum level is for individual areas.

 

“For best results, before a floor finish is installed, those in charge of a flooring project – new build or refurbishment – should carefully consider what the building is going to be used for.

 

“Points to consider include whether the floor will be subjected to water or other fluids such as wet processing areas. According to the HSE, most slip injuries happen on wet floors, so care needs to be taken to reduce the risk of accident in these areas.

 

“At this stage, manufacturers such as Flowcrete can be called in, to help establish exactly what is needed to deliver a safe surface.

 

“Slip resistance in wet process zones is usually achieved by introducing a coarser finish, often aggregate, to create greater resistance. This gives greater friction and enhanced grip.

 

“Effective use of drainage can also help alleviate risks in this type of environment by effectively removing fluid from the surface quickly and efficiently. Dry areas often have a lower requirement for slip resistance than wet areas and therefore smoother surface finishes can be used.

 

“In wet areas, the need for a slip-resistant finish then needs to be balanced with the cleanability requirements of the floor. The greater the slip-resistance, the more attention needs to be paid to the type of cleaning regime for the floor. A really course floor can be more difficult to clean, but modern flooring systems allow designs to be fine tuned to match the appropriate needs of individual environments, enabling optimum levels of hygiene and slip-resistance.

 

“Different floor finishes can withstand different cleaning regimes. For example, some floors can be steam cleaned, but others cannot. Problems arise if a floor finish cannot withstand a level of cleaning sufficient for its environment. If grease or other surface materials build-up, they are likely to cause a slip hazard, but shifting them is difficult if the floor cannot be cleaned at a high enough temperature to remove them.

 

“Not only are greases and oils dangerous if left laying on a surface, in the longer term they can damage the floor finish – creating another hazard with uneven surfaces - and result in costly and disruptive emergency repairs. Fortunately, floor finishes are available that can withstand the effects of certain chemicals and oils without damage to the structure.

 

“The amount of wear and tear a floor will be subjected to should also be considered. If the floor has to cope with wheeled traffic, but it is only designed to withstand light foot traffic, the finish will soon erode and become damaged – again creating an uneven surface.

 

“The design of the finish is not just limited to delivering safety underfoot.  The floor can also help with wider health and safety issues. This can include using different colours to create working zones and segregating different working areas.

 

“Signage can even be introduced underfoot, to promote safe walkway areas and places that are out of bounds.

 

“If thought out correctly, a floor can be much more than just something to walk on. Ultimately, careful pre-planning and time spent getting the specification right will help get the right system underfoot and play a significant role in the smooth running of the overall environment.”

 

Find out more at http://www.flowcrete.com