Floor slipperiness

The most common spill on a laboratory floor is water, not generally considered hazardous. It may, however, create hazardous conditions by making the floor slippery. It is dangerous to walk on a wet floor with certain types of soles. A wet area should always be blocked off until it is dry. Mop and bucket should always be available close by, not in a janitor s closet down the hall. String mops are superior to sponge mops for getting the floor dry. 

There are several methods for measuring floor slipperiness. Typically, each produces areading on a scale from 0 to 1. Different devices produce different resulting values. Various devices have been in vogue over the years and their validity in mimicking the human gait varies. 

For example, A worker was walking on the factory floor when he stepped in and slipped on a puddle of oil. Upon investigation, it was obvious that the accident and consequent injury was caused by the oil on the walkway, which rendered the floor slippery and unsafe. 

You should always anticipate hazards such as sharp objects like nails, broken glass, and medical needles slippery surfaces steep grades and potentially unstable surfaces such as walls, floors, or roofs that could cause falls, give way, or collapse. Other common physical hazards include ... 

Spills of oily materials will make most floors feel like an ice rink. A simple wipe-up will leave enough of a film to maintain slippery conditions. Cleaning must be done with detergent and water, followed by rinsing. 

Debris, holes, loose steps or flooring, protruding objects, slippery surfaces, or unsecured railings, which can cause falls, slips, and trips... 

The Watergate is a three-arched loggia, whose floor is barely above the surface of the Rio San Remo at high tide. That night the tide was out, exposing a slippery carpet of weed on the watersteps. I topped up a lantern with enough oil to bum until dawn and hung it in the central arch. Then I went back in and shot all the bolts on the big doors. 

Little attempt is made to control such hazards as unprotected floor openings, slippery or defective floors, stairway surfaces, inadequate illumination, etc. 

All areas should be equipped with wash-down equipment, and all levels must have adequate floor drains with the floor surfaces properly pitched. Care must also be exercised when selecting flooring materials, as glycerine is slippery this is a real concern, because spills and leaks inevitably occur. Provisions must be made in the plant for efficient cleaning procedures for the equipment, piping, and building. 

Environmental (obstacles, lack of handrails, poor lighting, slippery floors) Orthostatic hypotension Visual impairment... 

He paddled over to the side of the pool and pushed himself out onto the slippery floor. A bout of shivering claimed his limbs he wasn t sure if it was from the cold water or the nagging feeling of claustrophobia. The surge chamber was horribly confined, and the fact that it was usually full of water didn t help. 

At one time water based emulsions of waxes were routinely used on floors in the home and the work place. They imparted a wonderful shine to the floor but the coatings were very slippery underfoot. Slips and falls were a significant hazard. As dirt was tracked onto the floors the sheen and the slippery character disappeared. What was needed was an invisible dirt which would reduce the slip and not affect the shine. 

Colloidal silica particles are uniformly dispersed in the wax emulsion when applied to the floor. As the water evaporates, the colloidal silica particles accumulate at the surlace of the coating, providing a surface which is much less slippery than the wax alone. 

Precautiorr Combustible powd. may form explosive mixts. in air static charges may ignite combustible atmospheres melts in proximity to fires causing slippery floors/stairs spillages may be slippery incompat. with strong oxidizers, amines... 

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