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By Stephen Taylor Senior Health and Safety Executive Officer

Based on a presentation made to the AGSC on September 2007

This presentation was amusing and enlightening about understanding slips and floor surfaces. The following notes are a summary:

General update and introduction on HSE
  • 33 years since Flixborough chemical plant disaster.
  • HSE staff levels are falling approx. 4000 in 2006, 3400 to 2007 and may be down to 3000 in 2008.
  • The Rose Court London HSE Headquarters is due to close with staff moving to Bootle, Merseyside.

Understanding Slips
Thirty seven percent of all reported accidents in the UK are classified as caused by a slip, trip or fall. Insurance company RSA say the average cost of a slip injury claim is GBP9000. Other costs include legal fees, management and investigation time.
Basic laws that set out responsibilities are:
  • Health and Safety at Work Act
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 (MHSW Regulations) plus amendments
  • Construction (Design & Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM 2007)
A Court of Appeal case, Ellis v Bristol City Council, (see case study prepared by Weightmans,) have important implications for employers and the suitability of their flooring. This case changes the responsibility for people who design and operate buildings.
Architects need to know meanings for “foreseeable contaminated areas”

Examples of foreseeable contaminated areas:

Location

Possible Contaminate

Entrance

Water

Toilets / clock rooms

Oils / Fuels

Kitchens

Grease

Swimming pools

Semi solids

Ladder and stair access

Dust

Car parks

Granular

Everywhere outside

Grit
Examples of floor finishes were provided and the AGSC audience were asked to suggest how slip resistant each was.
HSE has done a lot of research on floor materials and surfaces looking at roughness (measured in microns)
Examples:
Standard quarry tile =10 microns
Glass = 0.5 microns
Polished floors 0.5
Timber = variable depending on grain, whether polished etc

Points to remember:
The cleaning regime must match the surface
  • Roughness is key
  • Wear the right shoes for the right contaminate
  • Ask shoe manufactures for information on slip resistant values

Slip potential Tool
A HSE Slip potential model is available for free to help assess the slip potential of surfaces. www.hsesat.info . Key areas considered include floor, contaminate, footwear, use of area and environment. The higher the number the more potential of a slip hazard there is. The model can be used to see the changing effects of changing / improving issues that effect the slip hazard. To use the tool correctly roughness-measuring equipment is needed. Slip resistant values can be measured by using SRV equipment e.g. Surtraonic machines. These machines measure the mountains and valleys in the surface.

HSE would like to see a minimum of 20 microns in potentially slippery areas and more needed for heavily contaminated areas such as oily surfaces.

Safety footwear
  • New HSE research on safety footwear is now available: slip-resistance testing of footwear for use at work HSL/07/33
    Download at: www.hse.gov.uk/slips/research/footwear.htm
  • Further information also available for schools – WS Adkins report
  • Internal Floor surfaces by the RIBA

HSE are happy to run free roadshows if 30 –50 people attend.