Unsafe floors are major sources of facility accidents, if the proper floor safety measures are not implemented. Serious injuries can arise from slips and falls, like broken bones, bruises, head and even spine injuries. Work-related accidents can be costly — workers are sidelined and become non-productive, with the facility paying for their medical bills.
Industrial floor coatings greatly help in preventing safety violations and accidents in facility floors. Industrial floor coatings keep floors from being too slick or slippery. When floors are cracked, tripping incidents can be avoided when the right industrial floor coatings are applied for repair. A cracked floor can also allow spilled liquids to accumulate within the cracks. When the liquid is not removed as soon as possible, floors can be the breeding ground for bacterial growth. Machineries and equipments are also better protected when floors are even and in good condition.
To safeguard against accidents, there are many flooring solutions that the facility manager can adopt. Some of them are below:
1. Non-slip industrial floor coatings, which are highly effective in providing continuous floor traction, thereby minimizing slippage.
2. Floor mats, which come with different capabilities — from basic anti-slip entrance mats, rubber floor mats, and anti-fatigue mats that help keep workers safe.
3. Floor patch and seals, which can reduce occupational safety risks by repairing damaged floors. These mostly include epoxy in its based formulation.
4. Floor markers, which can provide cautionary signals to workers. They can be in the form of warning signs, safety cones and pedestrian traffic routing messages.