When it comes to safety, don’t be the fall guy
by Russell Kendzior
Whether you know it or not, you are charged with the responsibility of protecting the public from accidental injuries — and slips, trips and falls top the list.
The person most likely to be blamed for a slip and fall is the person responsible for maintaining the floor.
In fact, in many slip and fall cases, the person who cleaned the floor is perceived as having more accountability than the victim. Our legal system says how and when the floor was cleaned often takes precedence over people's ability to watch where they are walking.
Exactly what is involved in this responsibility? It all starts on the ground level.
Remove hazards
When confronted with a spill, many people’s first reaction is to go for the mop and bucket. However, wet mopping is not always the right approach to hazard removal.
Using paper towels or absorbent spill mats is often a better choice.
In hazard removal, the name of the game is speed and effectiveness. It takes more time to get a mop and bucket then to use an absorbent wipe, and there is no drying time afterwards.
Barricades and warnings
- Always post hazard identification during inclement weather, and when the floor is known to be wet.
- Remove wet floor signs once the floor is dry — an estimated 60 percent of the time we see a wet floor sign, the floor is not wet.
This practice has conditioned many in the general public to ignore wet floor signs, which in and of itself may contribute to the high rates of slip and fall accidents.
- Use barricades when mopping aisle ways or single-entry rooms, such as restrooms or break rooms. Although barricading an aisle may inconvenience pedestrians, not using a barricade may land you in court.
Russell Kendzior is executive director, National Floor Safety Institute, Southlake, TX.