The Lurking Liability of an Unkept Floor
Obtaining a professional cleaning services to care for your commercial floors can be costly however the benefits can far outweigh the costs. From the moment a client or patient enters your building, a clean and inviting environment sends a positive message that your business is concerned with safety and a healthy environment. It also sends a message to employees that you care about their safety and well being. Setting a standard of cleanliness for everyone to follow. A clean work environment contributes to a productivity.
Outsourcing cleaning can be a daunting task but take one step at a time and you will find it is well worth it and not as difficult as it may seem. The best way to begin the process is to start with quality floor care.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that slips and falls are the primary cause of injury in the workplace. They report:
- The number of workers injured by falls has exceeded 200,000 per year accounting for 20% of disabling workplace injuries
- The average direct cost for one disabling workplace injury has been estimated at $39,000 to $43,000
- About 835 workers died from a workplace fall in 2007
There are many lawsuits filed every year claiming compensation from injuries that are directly related to floor maintenance. Such accidents are highly preventable if proper attention to floor maintenance is part of your professional cleaning service.
Accidents while slipping and falling generally occur when there is less friction on floors or when floors are wet. Friction is good for floors and that is what enables people to walk on it without sliding or falling. Dirt and dust forms on a floor that is not properly cleaned and when we land our foot on it this layer reduces slip core efficiency and causes accidents. Many people wrongly think that shiny floors are slippery but the opposite is true. A shiny floor represents a clean floor because it is waxed and dirt free which causes more friction.
Reasons why people fall includes:
- Accidental trips
- Dirty floors
- Grease build-up and spills
- Untidy and cluttered work areas
- Not paying attention
- Uneven or sloping ground surfaces
- Improper footwear
- Running or walking too fast
Because of all the injuries related to falling accidents, technology has developed equipment that measures friction on floor surfaces. Building managers can now employ an engineering tool called a slip meter that measures levels of Friction on surfaces. This will help to choose safer walking surfaces and monitor the quality of cleaning on hard floors.
At Gator Cleaning Services, we would be happy to offer assistance in all your cleaning and floorcare needs. We use products that are the most trusted and reliable in the industry and we can meet all your floorcare needs in a cost effective way.
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