Case study 1

The following case study was referred from ‘Identifying human factors associated with slip and fall accidents’ book published by HSE Books, London.

One of the accidents was reported to be occurred at the entrance of a shop. The shop was opened newly and several slip-over accidents were already been reported. Number of the flooring near the entrance of the shop was covered with the terrazzo floor tiles that is high in risk of slipping when wet.

It was established that the foyer has a structure that allows rainwater to go into the shop. This caused the mat, which was placed at the entrance, being soaked in water that decreases the friction between the mat and shoes. Furthermore, size of the mat was too small to be steeped compared to the amount of water ingresses.

As an urgent solution, the staffs increased the number of cleaning the entrance. To improve the efficiency of cleaning, they used a wet vacuum instead of mopping, which leaves the surface wet. Another solution that was made was to inspect the condition of the mat. They also changed the wet mat immediately. As a long-term solution, the company added another layer of canopies over the entrance to lessen the direct ingress of water.

It was reported that the cost of the wet vacuum and training staff about the cleaning was roughly £500. The cost of extra mats was approximately £20 each.

It was also reported that there had not been a serious case of slip-over accidents subsequently.