Wet floor signs are likely to be out in full force during the winter months, especially on rainy days. Wet floor signs are designed to prevent slip and fall accidents by providing a warning about a wet floor, but do they really? The signs are used so frequently these days (even when the floor isn’t wet) that we have become accustomed to them, and perhaps dont even notice them! It could even be argued that they are obstructive, and a bit of an eye sore!
Did you know that someone can still claim compensation for a slip and fall accident, regardless of whether there was a wet floor sign there? This highlights the importance of not only warning visitors about wet floors, but from preventing the floor from being wet in the first place. Wet floor signs should not be the solution for a) preventing slip and fall accidents and b) preventing compensation claims.
Here is our guide to help you reduce wet floors and wet floor signs in your building:
Identify areas prone to wet floors and spillages
Take a walk around your building and carry out a risk assessment. Are there any areas that could be particularly prone to wet floors? Perhaps near a vending machine or underneath a sink for example?
In these areas, preventative measures need to be put in place, to prevent the floor from getting wet, and in turn preventing slip and fall accidents.
This could include;
- Training the workforce on what they should do if they notice a wet floor
- Using non-slip safety flooring in areas such as kitchens and toilets
- Using non-slip matting in areas prone to drips and spillages
The answer should not be stick a wet floor sign down and walk away!
Regular Cleaning & Maintenance
It is important to have a regular cleaning and maintenance program throughout your premises to ensure that it is clean, safe and tidy at all times, in order to help prevent accidents.
Areas that are more likely to become clean and untidy quickly should be checked more regularly, especially if a wet floor is highly probable.
Areas such as customer and staff toilets should be checked every hour for a possible slip hazard, and rectified immediately.
Effective Entrance Matting
A key factor that can cause wet floors, is water and dirt being brought in on the footwear of customers, visitors and staff from outside when entering your premises.
Without effective entrance matting in place, this water can be tracked further into the building, causing wet floors in areas where sometimes you would least expect them.
If you have entrance matting in place and you are still having to use wet floor signs in your entrances, then you need better entrance mats, as they clearly aren’t doing the job intended!
An effective entrance mat should:
- Stop dirt and water at the door
- Store soil and water for later removal
- Minimise the tracking of soil and water
- Providing a safe surface to walk on
Remove wet floor signs once the floor is dry
A really simple way of reducing the number of wet floor signs in your building, is to remove them once the floor is dry. One of the main reasons we have become so accustomed to wet floor signs, is because sometimes they are still lying around when the floor is dry. The more they are left around when the floor is dry, the less likely people are going to see them as a warning sign.
How can we help you?
Here as Mats4U we have a range of matting that can help to stop water and dirt, which can in turn reduce the number of wet floor signs in your building. Take a look at the best entrance mats in the industry, as well as non-slip safety mats on our website.
If you are unsure which mats you need, or have a particular problem area that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are available Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm on 0121 313 6748, or you can email us at sales@mats4u.co.uk. We are more than happy to give you any help and advice that you need.
