And injured workers must take time off from work
to recuperate, requiring other workers to put in overtime to
compensate or requiring the company to hire and train new
workers to fill in.
An English study conducted in 2002 that
pinpointed problems that contribute to slips and falls in
food-processing facilities, also found similar problems at many
other types of industrial plants as well.
The study concluded that the following were some
of the major influences that result in industrial slip-and-fall
accidents:
• Products falling on the floor: Often in a
factory setting, products or materials fall on the floor. While
some spillage may
be inevitable, if it is
excessive, an engineering solution may be necessary to remedy
the problem.
• Surface buildup: Grease,
water, ice, metal shavings, dust and other debris make floors
slippery and potentially hazardous.
• Soiled footwear: Many slips
and falls are not the result of factory floors at all but are
caused by oil, debris and other contaminants building up on
workers’ shoes.
• Inadequate cleaning: Many
industrial and factory floors are poorly maintained because of
inadequate training of custodial workers, and/or the workers do
not have the proper floorcare equipment necessary to maintain
the floors.
Slips happen, and even with
the best of precautions and safety measures in place, they will
probably never be eradicated completely in industrial settings.
And although there are a variety of factors beyond those listed
here that can result in slips and falls, there are steps
management can incorporate to minimize these accidents.
Some of these involve
educating workers to help them protect themselves from injuries.
Others include incorporating preventive measures such as proper
matting systems, selecting the proper floorcare equipment to
maintain industrial floors, and applying coatings or finishes
that can help minimize these accidents.
"Management must understand
what causes slips and falls, and then take the proper steps to
minimize them," said Robert Allen, Ph.D., vice president of
operations with Amano Pioneer Eclipse, an equipment and product
manufacturer from Sparta, NC. “They have to provide the proper
equipment, cleaning products and training, and ensure they’re
actually doing the job.”
Educating Workers
“One of the best ways to
prevent slips and falls is through education,” agrees Kyle
McCabe, a floorcare equipment engineer with Tornado, a
manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment. “This involves
meeting with factory workers to discuss the slip and fall
problem, which not only helps make them more aware of the risks
in the workplace, but instructs them on measures they can take
to help reduce them.”
According to McCabe, one of
the first steps involves training workers to spot and report any
potential hazards to facility management. The study mentioned
earlier found that some workers—in their haste to keep up with
or complete their duties—will often “work around” a potential
hazard. “This increases the likelihood that they or someone else
may have an accident,” he says.
Often these educational
meetings lead to the formation of a floor-safety committee made
up of management and workers. From here, the team often develops
a program of ongoing inspections of the plant to correct
potential problems and prevent accidents.
McCabe advises that workers
should also be taught to take the following steps to help
protect themselves from slips and falls while working:
• Wear adequate, nonskid
footwear at work;
• Keep shoes clean and soil
free;
• Do not rush through work,
and allow adequate time to complete duties;
• Properly use stepladders to
avoid stretching or leaning to reach items;
• Recognize that weather
plays a major role in slips and falls; be more careful walking
when it is raining or snowing outside; and
• Be on alert for potential
hazards and mind immediate surroundings.
Preventive Measures
“Matting systems are essential
in an industrial facility,” says McCabe. “They keep outdoor
soils, water, oil and other contaminants out of the facility.
Inside the facility, they can help prevent slips and falls, but
be aware that they can also be the cause of an accident.”
This is because many times,
standalone matting systems inside a factory setting are not
adequately secured to the floor. In time, they may lose their
anchoring or corners and ends become curled, and people can trip
on them. Additionally, they may become soiled or may not be the
correct mat for the selected floor area.
When selecting a matting
system, first determine if the mats will be placed in a wet or
dry environment and the amount of foot traffic in the area.
High-quality mats with a textured solid top provide excellent
traction in a dry setting and usually can hold up well in
heavily trafficked areas. Dust and soils stay on the surface so
that they can be easily vacuumed up.
Similar mating systems with a
Z-web design allow water, oil, and larger debris to fall
through, helping to keep the surface dry, preventing slips and
falls.
To provide extra traction, use
slip-resistant tapes to secure the mat to the floor area. And do
not forget to vacuum, clean, and replace the mats as necessary.
A proper matting system can be a key measure to prevent slips
and falls. But when mats are soiled or at the end of their
useful life, they can actually be a major cause of accidents.
Floorcare Equipment for
Factory Settings
Most
industrial and factory floors must be cleaned and maintained on
a daily basis — swept, damp mopped, etc. — and scrubbed and deep
cleaned regularly depending on the setting, degree of soiling,
workload, products manufactured, climate, and other factors.
“When it comes to selecting floor machines, the first issue to
be addressed is the size of the equipment,” explains McCabe.
“Industrial facilities are often large, requiring larger
machines to maintain them.”
These machines also help
increase worker productivity and help cut labor costs
dramatically. He adds that larger equipment, such as ride-on
floor machines, can
also
multitask—scrubbing, cleaning, and
polishing the floor all in the same process— which
contributes to cost savings.
Often, industrial facilities
have concrete or vinyl composition tile (VCT) floors that are
selected because they can handle heavy foot traffic and hold up
to wear and tear. “But these floors are porous,” Mc-Cabe says.
“Even if they are well sealed, the sealant breaks down over
time, and soils can penetrate the floor.”
Ongoing proper training of all
cleaning professionals and their supervisors is essential in
making sure industrial floors are cleaned thoroughly and
efficiently. “Not only does the training help prevent slips and
falls, it eliminates bad habits that often find their way into
floorcare,” says McCabe. “And the training provides other
benefits as well. It boosts professionalism, keeps work mentally
challenging, and enhances morale.”
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