According to the OSHA, slips, trips, and falls account for 15% of accidental deaths, and slip, trip, and fall incidents cost the employer on average of $40,000 per event in the US.
But it gets worse. Recently, a study by CNA Financial Corp. found that 50% of workplace floors did not meet the criteria for sufficient friction on the floor compared to a baseline set by the American National Standards Institute. That is 50% of the floors tested in different industries were too slippery.
Well, that’s a revolting development. So, what can you do to make your floors safer?
- Put some mats down. Especially in areas prone to dirt and water, like entrances, exits, kitchens, and locker rooms. It’s much more difficult to clean wall-to-wall carpeting.
- Select the right mats for the right application. For example, if you have massive rainfall and water being tracked in all the time, there are special mats designed to absorb a lot of water.
- Keep your mats clean and in good order. Clean them regularly according to the manufacturers’ instructions. Any that are frayed or damaged need to be tossed, and you need to get new ones. You want to solve the slip, trip, and fall problem does not add to it.
- Get some umbrella stands and umbrella covers. This prevents people from dripping water everywhere, which makes the floor more slippery.
- Consider offering employees stand-up desks (which we talked about) and anti-fatigue mats. Happy and rested employees don’t fall as much as tired achy ones.
The suggestions above are just a few of many things you can do to combat the slippery floor. Choosing the flooring in the first place should be carefully considered. A shiny marble or terrazzo floor is going to be much more slippery than a cork or linoleum floor, for example.
But if changing the floor altogether is not in the budget, then mats are the next best thing to keep your workplace safe.
Do you have other questions? It’s easy to contact us, and we’re happy to help you. You can always call us at (877) 333-1018 or email us at sales@eaglemat.net for more information or if you aren’t sure what you need.
