With health and safety becoming an increasingly important issue, RESYN are urging companies to consider the implications that can arise from unsuitable floor finishes.
According to a report conducted by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) almost 11,000 major injuries each year occur as a result from a slip or trip. Therefore it is vital that customers have the relevant information that can help when assessing the slip resistance of a floor.
Slip resistance is a key requirement to maintaining employee safety, however it is commonly found that employers are unaware of the potential dangers that their floors present. Rising costs in litigation towards employers are shaping the need for increased awareness and attention to health and safety requirements, yet many companies are still not meeting the recommended guidelines and are failing to protect their employees from potential slips and trips.
When choosing a floor it is important to consider the slip resistance under production conditions. After all, a floor that offers good slip resistance under dry conditions can fail badly in wet or oily conditions.
To increase awareness of this issue RESYN offer on-site slip testing to highlight the floors performance to show if and how it can be improved. To ensure that customers are given all the vital information needed when choosing a floor, National flooring provide certified results of their Degafloor range, using both the TRL Pendulum method and German Ramp Method.
Robert Brown, managing director of RESYN comments, “ In the past we have dealt with a number of customers who have had problems arise due to unsuitable floor finishes. Our on-site slip testing has helped to highlight the problems that can occur due to insufficient slip resistance, many of our clients were shocked at the results of their existing floor, particularly under wet conditions. However, when choosing a floor finish you must adapt your cleaning process to ensure the floor continues to work to its best ability.”