How Your Facility Can Have a Fall Free Autumn

Posted September 26, 2017

Since the carefree and laid back vibes of the summer are coming to an end, it’s time to get serious about safety. With the fall season quickly approaching, your facility needs to be in tip top shape. For many places, the fall weather is often unpredictable. It can bring gusty winds, torrential downpours, and even the occasional snowflake or two. Since the weather is hard to pinpoint, you need to be proactive when it comes to protecting your facility from slip and falls. According to Reliable Plant, the U.S. Department of Labor says slip and falls make up the majority of general industry accidents. Since these accidents are such a threat to facility managers, the time to be prepared is now. See below how your facility can have a fall free autumn due to proper maintenance, commercial mats and more.

Reduce Wet & Slippery Surfaces

Did you know that the majority of slip and falls (68%) happen on the same level? When trying to prevent injuries and accidents in your facility, it’s important to know what causes them. Slips occur when there’s too little friction between footwear and the floor. The odds of this causing an injury are increased when the floor is wet, oily, slippery or have unanchored rugs and mats. To reduce wet and slippery surfaces, choose to place high-quality and secure commercial mats in at risk areas of your facility. Commercial mats provide the extra friction needed to prevent a slip from happening. Mats with nitrile rubber backing ensure that when placed properly, they will remain in position and won’t wrinkle or ripple. This way, even when it’s wet outside, the moisture will be trapped in your mat and not transferred on your facility floor.

Secure Facility Entryways

If a slip and fall accident were to occur, chances are it could happen in an entryway. This is because these areas tend to experience the highest foot traffic within any given day. If the weather outside is wet, it could potentially create a slip and slide right where you expect to see the most amount of people. That’s why entrance mats could save you from dealing with a slip and fall injury or lawsuit. Entrance mats are highly effective when it comes to protecting your floor from the damaging effects of dirt, dust and debris that are being dragged from the outside in. They come equipped with yarn that is twisted and heat set to enhance the amount of moisture that’s able to be absorbed. With mats in your entryway, customers and employees will be able to safely walk in and out without the risk of slipping and falling.

Practice Good Housekeeping

When it comes to housekeeping, watching over your facility is a crucial when it comes to safety. Putting facility maintenance on the top of your list is one of the best things you can do to protect those who enter your building. Having poor housekeeping habits can lead to a number of negative issues that can become big problems overtime. Making this part of your everyday routine can allow you to plan ahead and become more organized. Implementing a housekeeping program means taking charge of your facility and ensuring it’s clean and safe always. This means mopping up spills right away and issuing a “wet floor” signs as needed. It also means ensuring you have the proper mats, cleaning products and tools in place that allow your facility to run smoothly.