n aged care facilities, it is especially important to avoid having unsafe slippery tiled floors, steps and stairways, as falls can ruin a company’s good safety record and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation. All flooring surfaces should meet the current Australian and New Zealand Standard for Slip Resistance of Pedestrian Surfaces (AS/NZS3661.2:1994).
Employers and management are advised to ensure that all walking surfaces are made safe at all times. Smooth tiled floors that become wet are one of the main hazards. In 2002/3, 4,140 Victorian people alone were admitted to hospital. 33 per cent were from slips, 55 per cent were trips and 12 per cent were from stumbles. Rates for older persons are much higher and fractures are the most frequent injury. Since 1987 FloorsafeInternational’s own Australian made anti-slip system has made slippery tiled floor areas anti-slip safe with their three liquid anti-slip process. Having the benefits such as no change to the appearance, no smells, no mess and no dry time the treatment can be installed by one of the many Australian wide Floorsafe applicators or purchased and applied by any maintenance person.
Research also indicates that poorly designed stairs or the absence of handrails are implicated in a high number of fall related injuries. Design and material engineering solutions that eliminate structural deficiencies have the potential to reduce fall accidents. Commonwealth workers compensation statistics over five years indicate that slips, trips and falls accounted for 18 per cent of claims totalling $48 million. Several anti-slip options are available. Floorsafe International has a range of safety products available from anti-slip self adhesive tapes, luminous tapes and stair treads, and a large range of stair nosings that can be purchased or supplied and installed to reduce the risk of a major fall accident.
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