Surface Control Ltd

Client Type: Football Club
Floor Finish: Concrete - External
Slip Hazard: Stairs in Public Seating Areas

Condition & History

Approximately 40,000 people used this area on alternate weeks
Maintenance was considered sufficient and well supervised
Slipping accidents took place on dry days as well as wet. Slipping accidents were frequent on stair landings, many resulting in serious injury and ultimately high compensation
The cause was a poor knowledge in cleaning techniques compiled with confusion over why, where and when slipping accidents would take place. Initially it was thought that on wet days open to the elements this would be inevitable, however, accidents also happened on dry days
Sufficient knowledge by the maintenance staff on identifying risk areas and causes was limited. At a high cost, consultant slip experts were engaged to assess the problem.

Findings

It was found that a poor understanding of pH levels in cleaning fluids and use caused many of the slipping accidents by leaving behind residues. Although counter chemicals could be used to combat this problem without constant monitoring it would not be known when the alternate materials should be used. Staffing levels were adequate to monitor the surface if correct training could be given, unfortunately a relatively high turnover in cleaning staff meant that this would not be practical. Without monitoring the surface on a two weekly basis the cure had to be outside the existing budget for maintenance. Expensive remedial works had to be conducted to resolve the issue using a chemical treatment that provided a better level of slip resistance under these specific conditions.

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