Equip for Safe Floor Cleaning to Control Slip Risks

• Provide and maintain proper equipment to enable cleaners to prevent access to wet or damp floors.
  • Segregation must not prevent emergency access/egress
• Provide simple equipment and instructions to enable proper dilution of cleaning chemicals

• Provide water at the correct temperature for an effective cleaning solution.
• Provide equipment and chemicals recommended by the flooring manufacturer/ supplier
  • Avoid chemicals and equipment that could damage a floor or reduce slip resistance
• One company report improvements following the introduction of a "no-rinse" cleaning agent with proper training
• Provide cleaning staff with slip resistant footwear, if it is identified in the risk assessment
• If the slip resistance of the floor is being reduced by ineffective cleaning, consider replacing the cleaning method and the chemical, equipment and approach in line with the floor manufacturers advice

Grease or Oil on the Floor

• Detergent should be used in water at the correct temperature. The detergent should be left for a sufficient contact time to act on the grease/ oil - similar to the soak time for soiled pots and pans
• The Efficacy of Cleaning Regimes found that "in very greasy environments a fat solvent may prove more useful than detergent."

Floor Squeegees

Floor squeegees may not be appropriate in some situations. Safer surfaces to walk on (CIRIA C652) advises “that use of a squeegee had a negative effect ….

• where the surface roughness is sufficient to allow the floor to be left wet ….
• where oil or grease is present the squeegee spreads a thin layer ...over a wider area or forces it into the rough surface…..”

Assessment of Slip Risks from Floor Cleaning

A risk assessment approach to Floor Wet Cleaning slips (trips and falls) can include the following steps

1. Identify Risks
2. Communicate
3. Replace
4. Reschedule
5. Equip
6. Segregate

See Cleaning Floors Further Information