The Health and Safety law changes mean the risk of slips, trips and falls must be managed. Here are some floor maintenance tips to help you do just that.
With the Health and Safety Law Changes that came into effect 4 April 2016, all businesses need to identify and manage any risks that can cause injury.
Industrial Cleaning Specialists have been CPNZ (Contractor Prequalification NZ) qualified for just under a year now. This means we understand and carry out the legal obligations under Health and Safety law to hold the safety of our staff and our clients’ staff to the highest standards at all times.
It is even more important now with these changes to be aware of the hazards in your workplace that can lead to accidents and even worse, potential litigation. If you can prevent these incidents before they happen, it’s the best outcome for everyone.
Apart from the usual things like wet floors and debris on the floor that can cause trips and falls, it’s also important to be aware of damaged floors, uneven walking surfaces. and even the type of paint used on concrete, which should be abrasive to avoid slips.
Slips, trips and falls, to both staff and customers, are a very common risk to many businesses of all different industries. So let’s take a look at some floor maintenance tips where you can help to mitigate these risks and improve customer services simultaneously.
Floor maintenance team for a deep clean
Your staff might clean your floors with a regular sweep or vacuum, but the time will come when a build up of dust, grime or dirt requires a deeper clean.
You could just do this yourself, but that might put your staff at risk of a fall, or other injury, especially if working in a wet area using unfamiliar machinery.
An essential part of protecting your employees is through visual cues. These act as crucial warnings for both staff and visitors of the hazards within, and indicate specified areas for either equipment or safe walking zones. Process methods are also heavily reliant on designated areas that are both clearly visible and equally distinguishable.
Industrial Cleaning Specialists has many years experience in line marking in factory and warehouse environments for safety and efficiency needs. We have taken that history further and partnered with INESCO™ to be an approved installer of their line marking tape systems. This partnership allows us to deliver a time and cost effective solution to all of our clients.
Unique services can offer these services:
● Floor scrubbing with or without chemicals
● Deep cleaning with soak time and repeat scrubbing
● Whirl Away for very grimey areas
● Super heated water for stronger cleaning power
So, rather than expose your team to the risk of injury and yourself to the risk of a Health and Safety breach, why not get an experienced floor maintenance team in?
Debris in carparks and outdoor areas
Whether you have an indoor or outdoor carpark at your premises, hazards can easily develop over time. Debris from nearby gardens and trees can cover drains resulting in surface water, creating a hazard.
General rubbish, broken glass fragments and tyre marks can also develop into safety issues, if no one is in charge of monitoring or conducting routine checks. Another area that is often overlooked are the nooks and crannies where debris likes to hide – a routine sweep is often excluded in these areas.
Industrial Cleaning Specialists cater to all sizes of carpark and can help you in the following ways:
● Clean cesspits and drains and monitor them as required
● Assist in health and safety by removing debris/hazards
How to avoid accidents in high slipping areas
Some industries have higher slipping risks than others. An example of this would be the Food Processing Industry where it is fast paced with lots of machinery, liquids and foodstuffs all combined in a small area.
Floors can often get coated in liquid, fats and oils and this obviously presents a hazard that needs to be managed very well. This is where floor coating can go a long way to pre-empting falls and injury.
We can offer assistance in this area also with the following:
● Moisture cured urethanes for clear finish
● Epoxy floor coatings from major suppliers
● Non slip finishes – line marking
All our clients are unique, so we tailor our commercial cleaning services to suit your specific requirements and budget.
Our cleaning staff are inducted and trained to the highest level and site inspections are also carried out by senior management to ensure that our high cleaning standards are maintained. We care about our clients and the service we provide.
Floor Maintenance
A key component of safety in the workplace is right under your feet. Badly maintained or substandard flooring not only impacts on the well-being of your staff, and can also impede productivity and profitability.
Industrial Cleaning Specialists can help with all flooring problems from general cleaning and maintenance to major repairs and recoating. With our expertise and speciality equipment we are available 24/7 and can work around your downtime and plant closures.
Well-cleaned and well-maintained commercial flooring is not only great for your business, it reduces the risk of accidents. Learn how to keep floors clean and avoid dangerous situations.
Even the most cautious and conscientious businesses can sometimes have accidents and we all know, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Communication is important to us and we make it out duty to contact you regularly to ensure you are completely satisfied with our service.
If you want ‘peace of mind, top service and a great price’ – give us a try.
