Five tips to a non-slip winter

05 October 2011

Initial Washrooms Solutions (IWS) helps facilities managers to give accidents the SLIP with new initiative, centred round a five point plan.

IWS has launched a new initiative to help facilities managers prepare for the winter. With slips, trips and falls costing UK industry over £500 million a year, IWS is introducing its Slip Litigation & Injury Prevention (SLIP) scheme to show that managing the associated risks of falls can be achieved by taking preventative measures.

Sian Walkling, Marketing Manager Floorcare, IWS, commented: “The last few winters have been very harsh and typically the worst weather has been around January. However last year, December saw huge amounts of snow being dumped across the UK, so it’s crucial that retailers act now. Prevention is certainly better than the cure when it comes to slips, as wet weather, along with things like autumn leaves falling, can cause a lot of potential problems and is one of the reasons why we came up with the SLIP initiative.”

To help prepare for winter, IWS will be sending out its sales team armed with a tool kit on how best to combat the effect that the elements can have on a premises. The advice will explore the issues and challenges surrounding the increased risk of slips in offices in the winter months and offer practical solutions on how to avoid a slip.

“You’re obviously much more likely to slip on a wet floor than a dry one,” Walkling continues. “As there’s a bigger chance of snow during winter and much more rain, it makes sense to make sure you are taking the right precautions, as falls can be extremely costly, not only to the individual, but also to a business. People don’t realise that getting floorcare right and making sure it’s serviced regularly is one very simple way of helping to minimise the chance of slips in an office. A mat is a simple, but effective, defence mechanism.”

To help prepare ahead of winter, IWS’s SLIP initiative recommends that take the following steps are taken:

 Assess your premises. Where are people coming into the building and bringing in dirt and moisture on their shoes or clothes?
 It’s not just moisture and dirt from the outside that can cause slips. Find out if there are other potential areas where water or other substances can cause slips. For example, do you have vending machines or water fountains where drips occur?
 What kind of mats do you currently have? Make sure you know what you currently have as the features and benefits of different range vary greatly
 Mats are a great way of helping to prevent slips, but they need servicing on a regular basis to ensure that all dust, dirt and water are removed and the mat is returned as good as new performance
 Speak to your IWS sales representative on what floorcare solutions and services will work best for you