By admin | Published: February 12, 2014

Slips Cost - Its a fact!

According to the latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), slips and trips are amongst the most common causes of injuries at work. They come with an average annual price tag of more than £512 million, the individual cost of which can put a real strain on most companies’ budgets causing employers a lot of unnecessary headaches and stress

Did you know that slips and trips are responsible for:

over a third of all reported major injuries
20% of over-3-day injuries to employees
2 fatalities per year
50% of all reported accidents to members of the public that happen in workplaces
cost to employers of £512 million per year (lost production and other costs)
cost to the National Health Service of £133 million per year

Main factors contributing to slip accidents:

flooring unfit for purpose
contamination (debris, dropped food products, spilled liquids, grease)
ineffective cleaning
environment (e.g. dry, wet, dusty)

What's the solution?

Thorough environment assessment Flooring must be suitable for the type of activity that will be taking place on it, so an in-depth professional assessment of the environment in which it will be used must always be carried out prior to choosing a system. To ensure maximum safety and longevity, it is important to always choose a high quality product designed to offer excellent slip resistance in the environment in question, and installers with expertise in fitting the selected systems. Effective management system The slip resistance of flooring materials can change significantly due to the installation process, grouting, polishing or cleaning. Even the most suitable system may become a slip hazard if installed or maintained incorrectly. It is therefore important to have the right cleaning regime in place and to use the correct type of footwear to minimise the risk of slips and maximise user safety. Independent testing UK law requires that floor finishes in a workplace are always ‘fit for purpose’. It is therefore important that flooring systems undergo adequate independent testing in various conditions, such as wet, dry, dusty and contaminated to establish their suitability for different environments and work scenarios.

How can Larsen Contracts and Degafloor help?

Bespoke Solutions

Larsen Contracts are approved installers with Degafloor,The level of slip resistance in all Degafloor systems can be easily tailored according to particular requirements, making sure the end result is not only aesthetically pleasing but most importantly always safe and ‘fit for purpose’. In most cases this ‘tailoring’ is created by altering the number of seal coats applied, the size of aggregate used or by adding a clear bead to the seal coats to increase surface texture. Effective floor maintenance advice Extensive industry experience and close cooperation with Evonik, the world leading manufacturer of fast curing resins, have enabled Degafloor to develop in-depth understanding of advanced resin technology, various installation techniques, and correct cleaning and maintenance methods. Using this expertise, Degafloor has designed specialist training programmes and information guides for Larsen and end users to maximise the safety and longevity of Degafloor resin floors. Independent testing Our partners in Floor manufacture Degafloor has a strong reputation for ensuring safety first. Therefore, all Degafloor systems are independently tested to BS 7976 using the TRL pendulum test method in various conditions (wet, dusty, dry, and even oil contaminated) to produce detailed, accurate, and reliable results:

Degafloor System	PTV (dry)	PTV (wet)
F System	71	16 *
Flake System	67	17 *
FB System	75	68
QT System (smooth)	51	24
QT System (orange peel)	63	58
QTA System	74	69

Larsen Contracts are the approved installers for Degafloor systems throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland . We have offices in Belfast and Dublin For advice call Eddie Brien 01 834 8255 or email info@larsen-contracts.com * Wet performance of the Flake and F systems can be improved with the addition of aluminium oxide or clear polymer beads within the seal coats; these produces do not alter the aesthetics of the system. www.larsen-contracts.com