| SMEs cannot afford cleaning slip ups |
| Tuesday, 16 June 2009 07:08 |
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Slips and trips cost businesses and local authorities more than £500 million a year in compensation and legal fees.
Slips and trips cost businesses and local authorities more than £500 million a year in compensation and legal fees. Statistics from the Health and Safety Executive highlight that slips and trips are one of the most common causes of accidents both at work and in public spaces, costing businesses and local authorities more than £500 million a year in compensation and legal fees. According to Lisa Cobden of slip resistance testing consultancy firm CERAM, SME directors can play a major role in ensuring the safety of their employees and customers by working with their cleaning providers to implement appropriate and effective cleaning regimes in the workplace.“Whilst many companies believe that a vacuum, mop or brush will suffice, the reality is that different floor surfaces require very specific cleaning procedures,” says Cobden. “The selection of a suitable cleaning method must take into consideration not only the contaminants, but also the surface finish. For example, a method used for cleaning a smooth ceramic surface may not be appropriate for a textured resilient floor. It is vital that an effective cleaning protocol is in place and it is the responsibility of SME leadership teams to ensure that those procedures are adhered to at all times,” she adds. Cobden’s comments come in the wake of a recent High Court case involving New Forest District Council, which has been left facing a bill of almost £350,000 after a four-year legal battle against the flooring company that refurbished three leisure centres in Hythe, Ringwood and Totton. The council mistakenly claimed that the work carried out by Titanium Polyurethane Seal resulted in slippery and dangerous floors. However, it was in fact the council’s own cleaning methods in using the wrong type of wax that were responsible for the problems. “Even the most slip-resistant of surfaces can become slippery if not correctly maintained,” explains Cobden. “Often the cleaning process is poorly managed with the emphasis placed on aesthetic appearance in preference over the restoration of the surface to its original pre-contaminated slip-resistant finish. Huge amounts of time and money are frequently spent when specifying slip resistant surfaces only to find at a later date that an ineffective cleaning regime has rendered them useless. In today’s litigious environment SMEs cannot afford to overlook the importance of correct cleaning procedures, particularly when employees and customers could be seriously injured by a slip or trip. This is more so given the current economic climate where companies are keen to reduce costs.” The basic elements of an effective cleaning/maintenance regime should include:• Identification of specific contaminants and selection of appropriate cleaners. • Establishment of a floor cleaning protocol for the removal of contaminants. • Provision of appropriate tools to clean floors and, if necessary, designation of dedicated tools for specific areas. • Implementation of a floor-cleaning schedule, including: o identification of the responsible person o the time of day/night during which cleaning should take place, taking into account the likely volume of pedestrian traffic • Definition of: o cleaning requirements and procedures o safe handling and disposal of detergents o emergency conditions and operations o maintenance related record keeping and reporting • Routine inspection of floor surfaces for wear, damage, debris and contaminants. The exact procedures adopted will depend on a number of factors such as the type of surface to be cleaned, the contamination present, the availability of chemical cleaning agents and the space in which to manoeuvre cleaning machines.
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