Safety's No Game - and Slips
Aren't Funny if they Land in Court
 Imagine
the legal ramifications if an up-and-coming Ian Thorpe
or Pat Rafter was to be seriously hurt or even disabled
in a slip and fall accident in a changing room.
If it could be proven that the floor surface had poor
slip resistance, the financial consequences could stretch
out into the multiple millions.
It could send those responsible broke – in exactly
the same way that an employer or building owner can be
sent broke if they neglect their responsibilities in public
and workplace facilities (such as change rooms, bathrooms,
kitchens, canteens, hallways, production areas and workshop
areas).
I came across the sportsman analogy recently when studying
a paper by Standards Australia spokesman Richard Bowman
in which he alerts people to the availability of the Standards
Australia Handbook 197 guide for specifying slip resistance.
Such articles really should be compulsory reading for
all employers, in my experience as an expert witness appearing
in cases where business owners are being sued for taking
insufficient care in ensuring their floors are safe in
foreseeable situations.
Because figures from the National Occupational Health
and Safety Commission (NOHSC) show Australian industry
now has well over 20,000 new workers compensation cases
a year where falls, slips and trips result in death, permanent
disability or a temporary disability resulting in an absence
from work of more than a week.
The cost of these new claims is hundreds of millions of
dollars a year – and absolutely certain to rise as
courts find that many of the incidents are preventable.
Once the level of awareness in Australian courts reaches
the level of awareness in the US system, then all local
employers (of whom I am one) should be very aware of their
responsibilities.
Because workplace safety is a concern to everyone. Employees,
employers, risk managers, insurers and even visitors are
impacted by the level of commitment to safety at your physical
facility. As long as businesses have existed, one of the
most common and costly threats to a workplace safety program
has been the slip and fall accident.
To understand this, let’s get technical for a moment.
Friction, also referred to as traction, is the relationship
of object to surface; foot to floor. In terms of slip resistance,
it is the resistance to lateral (forward) movement caused
by the foot touching the ground.
To determine the slip resistance of any surface, you must
determine the Coefficient of Friction (COF) on the surface.
The COF is the horizontal force divided by the vertical
force. The higher the coefficient of friction reading,
the less slippery a surface.
Coefficient of Friction has become an important measure
of performance for floor surfaces and to the anti-fatigue
and safety matting industry. To guard against slip and
fall accidents, the American OSHA recommends a static coefficient
of friction of .5. The Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) specifies a coefficient of friction of .6 on flat
surfaces and .8 on ramps.
With these recommendations in place, the concept of slip
resistance has basically been elevated to a civil right.
Right now, the static coefficient of friction of .5 is
seen as legal and enforceable benchmark for slip-resistant
pedestrian walkways. Similar standards of protection will
ultimately arrive in Australia.
We can spend as much as we like on protective clothing,
eyeglasses, earmuffs, helmets and the like, but if the
floor under our employees’ feet isn’t safe
then - literally and legally - we haven’t got a leg
to stand on.
Nor will a helmet or safety clothing benefit you much
if workers suffer a sprain or strain of the joints or adjacent
muscles – and these types of injuries account for
fully 50 per cent of new workers compensation cases.
Yet employers can do a lot to address the problem by undertaking
a little homework to direct their safety investment.
SAFETY CHECKLIST
Mr Siegle suggests a basic checklist should include the
following steps to help keep the workplace safe:
1. Investigate accidents
Find out where accidents and near-accidents occur. Often
minor incidents precede major ones, so treat even small
accidents as clues to identifying troublesome areas that
need attention. Employees should report all incidents.
Pay particular attention to the following:
- Doorways and other transitional areas
- Ramps
- Cluttered hallways
- Areas with heavy traffic
- Uneven surfaces
- Areas that are prone to wetness or spills
2. Implement environmental controls
Such controls typically include slip-resistant floors
and safety, ergonomic and anti-fatigue mats. These should
have a minimal static coefficient of at least 0.5.
When assessing the types of flooring that should be used,
bear in mind that not only should the flooring be chosen
according to the floor’s use (naturally), but also
that some rooms may require more than one type of floor
surface (something planners sometimes overlook, and a factor
where special-purpose matting can be used in, for example,
fatty, wet or metal working areas).
While it is possible to design floors with subtle and
safe slopes to improve drainage, companies may find it
more cost-efficient to use different tiles or mats in areas
of heavy traffic. Some of the criteria to consider in choosing
flooring include:
- What kind of spills are likely?
- What are the sanitary requirements?
- Is noise a concern?
- Will the area have heavy traffic?
- What equipment must the floor hold?
- How will the floor be cleaned?
- Are aesthetic effects a concern?
Non-skid coatings can improve traction, but mats constructed
with securely anchorage surfaces have the advantage of
being able to be applied immediately and comparatively
inexpensively. They can also be moved as production and
traffic needs change.
Mats provide added protection in spots where spills are
likely and in areas with heavy traffic, where customers
and employees may track in water and dirt. Some specialist
manufacturers (such as Waterhog, a world leader in its
field) produce aesthetically highly refined mats especially
designed to extract dirt and water before it is tracked
into other areas, causing problems there.
3. Where mats are chosen, specify the following qualities:
- Easy to clean
- Rubber surfaces
- Recessed or bevelled edges
- Thicknesses of 125-160mm
- Perforated surfaces to drain spills
It is sensible also to ensure that footwear complements
the mats’ safety and ergonomic performance by having
slip-resistant soles and a high co-efficient of friction,
while being comfortable and durable. 4. Take control with training people to stay on the lookout
for hazards that could cause slips, trips or falls.
- If you drop it, pick it up
- If you spill it, wipe it up.
- Go where you’re looking, and look where you’re
going
- Check that aisles are clear
- Be sure floors are clean
- Watch guests or customers to give them any assistance
they might need
- Make cleaning implements accessible to any employee
As long as people move, fatigue and slips will occur.
But a variety of products can reduce the chances that the
hazards will result in a painful and costly experience. 5. Where you have invested in mats, keep them clean
Always be sure floors are clean – and also watch
employees, guests or customers to give them any assistance
they might need during inclement conditions, such as spillages,
flooding or rain. Make sure cleaning implements are accessible
to any employee.
For best results – both in terms of durability and
safety - mats should receive scheduled cleanings. Quality
carpet and entrance mats are designed to lower your maintenance
costs and still be easily maintained. Simply follow these
instructions to keep your mats looking great and functioning
effectively.
Carpet and Entrance Mats
Take the mats outside
and shake them to remove excess dirt and debris. If necessary,
use
a hose (avoid extremely high-pressure or high temperatures)
to was them off. Allow carpeted mats to dry before bringing
them back inside. Carpet mats can be cleaned the same
way you maintain your carpeting. Vacuum them daily, and
extract
or shampoo them when dirt builds up.
Moulded Rubber and
PVC Anti-fatigue Mats (Those designed for wet areas)
Use a high-pressure hose (not to exceed 1800 psi) and
hot water (max 160 degrees F) to rid the mats of oils.
For
best results, use a mild soap or detergent like Ivory
Liquid with a ph between 4.0 - 9.0 to clean the mats.
Do not use
steam, degreasers or caustic chemicals. Do not machine
wash or mechanically scrub the mats. SpongeCote™ Mats,
PVC Sponges and Urethane Mats (Dry area mats)
Sweep
regularly or dry mop the surface.
These mats can be wet mopped with mild soap or detergent.
For best results use a detergent like Ivory Liquid with
a ph between 4.0 - 9.0.
Runner Mats
Simply sweep the surface with a broom or
vacuum. Our runners can also be wet mopped with mild soap.
If in any doubt, consult a matting expert. We have invested
our future in your business and have a vested interest
in protecting you.
(Note: A COF of higher than .8 does not significantly
add to slip resistance. However, a COF of much over 1.0
can impede a person’s ability to walk) |
