Health and Safety

Executive

Floor Cleaning
and its impact on
Slips and Trips
Health and Safety
Executive

Slip and Trip

Potential Model
Environment
People

Contamination
& obstacles
Slip and Trip
Potential Footwear

Floor
Health and Safety
Executive

Identifying management
problems
• No-one available when
contamination levels are at
their worse or to clean up
spills
• Cleaners don’t know who to
report problems to, or
cleaning equipment is badly
maintained.
• Cleaners don’t know how to
change settings and cleaning
heads etc.
• The floor has changed but
the cleaning technique is the
same
Health and Safety
Executive

An effective management
system should include:-

1. Procedures for maintenance

of floors and equipment
2. Appropriate training and
supervision
3. Effective communications at
all levels
4. Procedures that ensure the
correct cleaning regimes are
chosen and are undertaken
at the right time
5. A monitor and review system
for above
Health and Safety
Executive

Contamination and cleaning,

what to look for?
1. Spillages and contamination
on the floors
2. Wet mopping of small spills
3. Scrubber dryer leaves a trail
of water
4. Use of a squeegee to
remove excess water after
wet cleaning.
5. The brushing up of dusty
contamination.
6. Floor feels slippery or looks
contaminated or dirty, even
though cleaning was recently
carried out.
Health and Safety
Executive

Contamination and cleaning, what to ask.

1. Can contamination be stopped from reaching the
floor?
2. What type of cleaning products and equipment are
being used?
3. Is the cleaning method causing other health risks?
4. Is there an effective maintenance system for cleaning
equipment?
5. How often is cleaning carried out?
6. How are spills removed?
7. How rough is the floor?
8. Are the cleaners trained and adequately supervised?
Health and Safety
Executive

Use of cones and warning

signs
1. Restrict pedestrians from
walking across a smooth
floor that has been wet
cleaned, until the floor is
totally dry.

2. Signs can be an effective

means of informing people
of a spill, only if the spill is
visible
Health and Safety
Executive

Preventing trip hazards

1. Promote the use of battery-
operated equipment.
2. Reduce the operating length of
the cable or cover it.
3. Use during quiet times or
outside of normal work hours.
4. Cleaning equipment not to be
left unattended, should be
disconnected and safely stored
when not in use.
5. Monitor cleaners to ensure they
are following work and storage
procedures.
6. Check reporting procedures are
in place
Health and Safety
Executive

Summary of key messages

1. Effective cleaning requires a good
management system

2. Cleaning can create slip and trip hazards

3. Stop pedestrian access to smooth wet floors

4. Floor contamination should be removed

effectively