Plant Services - January 2008 - (Page 39) There is science behind preventing slips and falls By Ken Fisher he axiom, “what is measured gets done,” applies to preventing slips and falls if you measure the coefficient of friction (COF) of plant floors. Measuring collects data and lays the basis for remedial and preventive actions, which reduce injury, operational and other costs. Data collection and follow-up entails: • Measuring and recording the condition of your floors • Improving, then maintaining, the floors to a desired benchmark level through effective treatments and proper care • Auditing and documenting the state of floors to demonstrate due diligence, care and compliance with safety norms Be wary of water. A study of workers injured by slips and falls at U.S. Department of Energy facilities have showed that approximately three-fourths of the indoor slip/fall events reported involved water, according to the DOE. Before doing anything else, benchmark the wet COF to record the slip resistance of the surface when it’s wet or contaminated. is supports the rationale that if a floor is slip-resistant when wet, it’ll be slip-resistant when dry. Quantify your results and standardize your recordkeeping using a baseline COF, making improvements and taking follow-up measurements. Several organizations, including the insurance carrier CNA and the National Floor Safety Institute, use or recommend a device called the Binary Output Tribometer, or BOT-3000 (www.uwtlp.com). is is the only U.S. floor-testing device that passes ASTM’s precision and bias standards, and can measure both static and dynamic COF. e automated device eliminates user variables that affect reading consistency. Digital printouts and uplinks enable sharing, saving and storing data, tracking trends and providing a legally-sound numerical trail that documents improvements. Raise traction Coefficient of friction definitions Coe cient of friction (COF) is a number that indicates the degree to which a oor is slip-resistant. The COF is determined with an instrument that senses the slip resistance of a surface. Both static and dynamic coe cient of friction measurements are useful in determining oor safety. Static coe cient of friction (SCOF) is the ratio of the horizontal force needed to start an object sliding to the force pressing an object normal to the surface. Dynamic coe cient of friction (DCOF) is the ratio of the horizontal force needed to keep an object sliding to the force pressing an object normal to the surface. If a clean floor’s COF demonstrates that it’s slippery when wet, apply a treatment or product to increase wet slip resistance. Two product categories have proven effective: • Surface modifiers that increase traction on concrete, ceramic tile, quarry tile, stone, marble and similar surfaces • Mop-on cleaners/treatments that raise traction on finished and other floors. Surface modifiers improve the COF by chemically altering the mechanical properties of an unfinished mineral-based floor. ey produce micropores or imperceptible tread patterns that render wet concrete, tile and stone floors safer to walk on. Applying a penetrating sealer makes the surface more resistant to soil. Slip resistance lasts several years with regular cleaning, but reapplication should be handled by professionals. Surface modifiers also are effective in showers. 39 J .PLANTSERVICES. http://www.uwtlp.com http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com
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