Health and Safety Executive

Floor Cleaning and its impact on

Slips and Trips

Health and Safety Executive

Slip and Trip Potential Model

Slip and Trip Potential

People

Environment

Floor

Contamination& obstacles

Footwear

Health and Safety Executive

Identifying management problems

• No-one available when contamination levels are at their worse or to clean up spills

• Cleaners don’t know who to report problems to, or cleaning equipment is badly maintained.

• Cleaners don’t know how to change settings and cleaning heads etc.

• The floor has changed but the cleaning technique is the same

Health and Safety Executive

An effective management system should include:-

1. Procedures for maintenance of floors and equipment

2. Appropriate training and supervision

3. Effective communications at all levels

4. Procedures that ensure the correct cleaning regimes are chosen and are undertaken at the right time

5. A monitor and review system for above

Health and Safety Executive

Contamination and cleaning,what to look for?1. Spillages and contamination

on the floors2. Wet mopping of small spills3. Scrubber dryer leaves a trail

of water4. Use of a squeegee to

remove excess water after wet cleaning.

5. The brushing up of dusty contamination.

6. Floor feels slippery or looks contaminated or dirty, even though cleaning was recently carried out.

Health and Safety Executive

Contamination and cleaning, what to ask.

1. Can contamination be stopped from reaching the floor?

2. What type of cleaning products and equipment are being used?

3. Is the cleaning method causing other health risks?4. Is there an effective maintenance system for cleaning

equipment?5. How often is cleaning carried out?6. How are spills removed?7. How rough is the floor? 8. Are the cleaners trained and adequately supervised?

Health and Safety Executive

Use of cones and warning signs

1. Restrict pedestrians from walking across a smooth floor that has been wet cleaned, until the floor is totally dry.

2. Signs can be an effective means of informing people of a spill, only if the spill is visible

Health and Safety Executive

Preventing trip hazards1. Promote the use of battery-

operated equipment. 2. Reduce the operating length of

the cable or cover it. 3. Use during quiet times or

outside of normal work hours. 4. Cleaning equipment not to be

left unattended, should be disconnected and safely stored when not in use.

5. Monitor cleaners to ensure they are following work and storage procedures.

6. Check reporting procedures are in place

Health and Safety Executive

Summary of key messages

1.Effective cleaning requires a good management system

2.Cleaning can create slip and trip hazards

3.Stop pedestrian access to smooth wet floors

4.Floor contamination should be removed effectively