If you manage a manufacturing plant or warehouse, you know that employee accidents can cost your company dearly—both in terms of monetary loss and the lost time and opportunity for your workers.
According to the US Department of Labor, here’s what worker compensation costs look like for 2017:
- Georgia: more than 3,500 workers injured at a cost of more than $275,000,000
- North Carolina: more than 1,200 workers injured at a cost of about $81,000,000
- South Carolina: more than 7,000 workers injured at a cost of about $800,000,000
- Tennessee: more than 17,000 workers injured at a cost of more than $2,400,000,000.
Unfortunately, there are aspects of the industrial workplace that bring with them inherent risks—for example, powerful manufacturing equipment, the necessity for repetitive tasks, and human workers who are prone to error.
However, other workplace accidents and injuries are preventable.
Preventing needless accidents through proper maintenance
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip-and-fall accidents are responsible for 85% of worker’s compensation claims in the U.S., and 55% of these falls are caused by hazardous flooring situations.
Common flooring hazards that increase the chance of slips, trips, and falls include:
- Wet, muddy, or damp floors
- Oily or greasy floors
- Dusty or powder-covered floors
- Cracks, spalling or other uneven surfaces
- Worn flooring surfaces
- Holes or other unmarked changes in flooring height
- Sudden changes in flooring material (e.g. from carpet to tile)
- Loose or rumpled mats or rugs
- Slick, uneven, and/or unmarked stairs
- Clutter, wires, debris, etc. left on the floors
- Poorly lit working areas
Many of the hazards on the list above can be eliminated through proper maintenance and proactive safety steps, including:
- Regular cleaning of floors
- Protocols for quickly marking and mopping up spills
- Correcting for concrete moisture issues
- Filling and repairing concrete cracking and spalling
- Unifying the flooring surface
- Securing mats to the floor
- Re-organizing wires and clearing up clutter
- Establishing a safety floor marking system
How slip-resistant floor coatings can help
For your particular facility, some may be hazards may be ever-present, such as delivery workers tracking in rain and mud, or processes that involve liquids or powders.
When the hazard itself can’t be removed, an anti-slip floor coating can be installed to give workers extra support in wet, dusty, or otherwise slippery situations. Non-slip coatings may take the form of broadcast flooring systems, in which crushed quartz or another aggregate is sealed into a floor coating. This provides workers with the extra traction they need to avoid slip-and-fall accidents.
Learn more about slip-resistant floor coatings.
Need a professional flooring solution?
If you would like an expert opinion on how your industrial facility’s flooring can help prevent workplace accidents, contact an industrial flooring professional.
If you’re located Southeastern U.S., the experts at CPC Floor Coatings can visit your facility and give you a free consultation. Call us at (864) 855-0600 or contact us online to get the process started.
