A slippery issue
Liquid spillages and wet floors are a much overlooked workplace menace. Use our spill assessment and response document to help you through the steps to understanding, controlling and preparing for the unexpected.
Spilling the beans
Spills and leaks are always a possibility when work activities involve liquids - whether from a damaged or overturned vessel, a split pipe, a failed mechanical connection or just plain careless handling. No matter the size of the problem, from a spot of oil on the floor to a huge area of standing liquid, the potential for injury through slipping will always be present - not to mention the other hazardous properties of some liquids, and the possible eco-consequences. This all adds up to some serious risks that need controlling.
Tip. Wherever the storage, transport, handling and use of liquids is concerned, you’d do well to consider the possibility of spills, and their resulting dangers, alongside your general risk assessments - and brief key workers accordingly. This needn’t be over-complex (depending on your operations) but will mean you’ll be prepared. To this end we’ve produced a Managing the risks of a spill document to guide you through this process and help cover all the liabilities.
What else should you do?
The conventional janitorial approach, i.e. mopping, does relatively little and actually tends to increase the hazardous area. What’s needed, is prompt and effective action to remove the liquid and dry the surface. You’ll obviously need to talk to all your staff and raise their awareness and “buy-in” to this idea, but in some areas you may need to provide proper materials for the purpose. Depending on your liquids and the risks that might be anything from paper towel rolls or a cheap bag of workshop granules, to a large spill kit. How do you choose?
Tip 1. Choose a reputable spill kit supplier and talk to them - they’ll advise on what you need. However, don’t forget that whoever you speak to is a salesman and will have the interests of their company at heart.
Tip 2. For larger requirements, most will provide an extremely useful free site survey, with itemised recommendations.
Tip 3. Don’t take their list as read - you can cherry pick the items as you see fit - and haggle!
Tip 4. Plan for a few other inexpensive items such as “Caution - Wet Floor” signs.
Tread carefully
Other obvious things to look at are footwear and flooring surfaces. Safety shoes with various types of specialised soles are available and even wider ranges of flooring products. These can vary from non-slip coatings, through matting materials to drip tray flooring and grating systems. Some of these can have other benefits, such as relieving operator fatigue due to standing. But take care to choose wisely.
Tip 1. Make sure the product is fitted/installed properly.
Tip 2. Beware of replacing the slip hazard with a trip hazard, like the edge of a mat.
Tip 3. Make sure it works with, and won’t be degraded by, the liquid in question.
Tip 4. In the case of a grating product, or a tray or absorbent mat, which may fill and overflow, identify where the liquid will go? Make sure you arrange to empty or manage them properly.
The next step
For our free Managing the risks of a spill document visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk (HS 05.09.05).
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