Slippery floors are a hazard. It doesn’t matter whether you’re at home, in the office, or at the warehouse, a slippery floor increases the risk of a fall. This can result in a variety of injuries, there are already far too many in the workplace.
An injury at work means time off, potentially a claim against insurance, damage to a business reputation, and reduced productivity as staff are missing.
In short, it’s something that is best avoided. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the risk associated with slippery floors:
Re-Coat It
This is a good solution for any slippery floor but it is especially beneficial if your floor has seen better days. You can use polyurethane floor paints to add a fresh coat on top of your floor. It will invigorate the area. At the same time, this type of floor coating is non-slip. That makes it considerably safer than your existing flooring.
Best of all, this type of flooring can be purchased in almost any color. That means you can revamp the premises in the right color while making it safer.
It should be noted there is an array of polyurethane floor paints available. Some are better at resisting oil spills and others are more focused on being waterproof or creating a stippled finish. Take your time to choose the right option for your premises.
Add Mats
A simplistic and fairly effective approach to dealing with slippery floors is to add mats. They’ll need to be rubber backed to ensure they don’t move and create a slip hazard. They will also need to be positioned wherever people are most likely to slip over.
The mat is effective but, it’s only effective where it is positioned. That means slips are still possible.
It should be noted that all premises, regardless of their flooring type, should have a non-slip rubber-backed mat at their entrances. Keeping water off the floor is essential if you want it to be non-slip.
Keep It Clean
The idea of mopping the floor suggests an increased risk of slipperiness. However, a floor that isn’t cleaned regularly is more likely to collect debris and become sticky. This actually increases the likelihood of a slip!
To prevent this the floor should be swept and mopped regularly. However, after mopping, the floor should always be dried with a dry mop. This reduces the likelihood of people walking on it when it is wet and helps to ensure it is safer to walk on.
Use The Right Products
Polishing the floor helps it to shine. But, too much polish or the wrong type for the floor will make it slippery. That’s why you need to use the right product for your type of floor and apply it in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
It will help to ensure it does its job without making the floor slippery.
Of course, you can always carpet the floor. However, in many cases, this is not a practical solution.
