Floor Cleaning Procedures For PREVENTION Quick tips for safe floor areas. By: Dusti Butler and Helene Browning In the United States, there are more than one million people injured from slip, trip and fall incidents every year. It is important to recognize the significance of these types of injuries as claims from slips, trips and falls cost, on average, approxi-mately $25,000-$28,000 per occurrence, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most common injuries are to joints — typ-ically the back, wrist, elbow, shoulder and knee. There are many factors that contribute to slip, trip and fall incidents, one of which is improper floor cleaning. To ensure proper floor cleaning pro-cedures are in place, a formal-ized cleaning pro-gram should be established. The following information can serve as a guideline. and considerations should be given to peak hours, traffic patterns and weather condi-tions The drying time for the area being cleaned should also be considered when establishing the schedule Appropriate barricades should be used to redirect pedestrians during cleaning All cleaning should be documented and inspection logs maintained As part of the program, written procedures on floor cleaning need to be established and updated as needed (i.e. when a new floor surface is in place, when new cleaning prod-ucts are used, if the work environment has changed, if new exposures are present, etc.) The written procedures should also be eval-uated periodically to ensure they are being followed and are effective. Appropriate Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) should be obtained and employees should be trained properly on the use of personal protection and application procedures. The minimum requirements for this training can be found in the HAZCOM requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). SLIP , TRIP AND FALL Training When implementing a cleaning program, training employees on cleaning policies and procedures is crucial to the success of the program. Employees should be aware of overall house-keeping procedures as well as specific cleaning procedures for high-hazard areas. The following factors should be considered when training is provided: All areas should be checked to ensure prop-er drainage is in place All areas should be highly visible for more info Visit www.cmmonline.com and type in search keyword: Slip . For more information on related products, visit www.cmmonline.com , select SUPPLIER SEARCH from the main navigation bar, and enter keyword: Floor . Cleaning Program A program should be implemented to ensure reg-ular cleaning of floors is conducted at a facility. A cleaning program should establish clean-ing schedules and contain, at a minimum, the following elements: Cleaning schedules should be determined 28 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • November 2009
CMM – Archives Nov 2009: 28
