Three ways to avoid slips, trips and falls in the food and beverage industry

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Work Act, it’s a manager’s job to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of workplace staff and visitors. Still, 2.8 million were injured on the job in 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This is a costly expense. The National Safety Council estimates workplace injuries cost U.S. companies $171 billion in 2019.

The Health and Safety Work Act requires all employers of all types to provide a professional health and safety briefing that should.

• Outline the potential hazards of the workplace
• Provide guidance on hazard avoidance
• Establish hazard reporting methods

This article will cover the safety hazards specific to the food and beverage industry.

Floor hazards in the food and beverage industry

Slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common non-fatal accident types and made up 27% of non-fatal workplace accidents in 2019. (Contact with objects or equipment was the second most common accident type at 26%.) In the food and beverage industry, slips and trips make up 25% of all non-fatal accidents.

The cause of these accidents is remarkably consistent—90 percent of slips in the food and beverage industry are caused by spillage and wet floors after the food has been cleaned up. Meanwhile, most trips are caused by obstructions. Trip and slip hazards in the food and beverage industry include:

• Food and drink spills
• Cooking oil spills
• Wet floors from cleaning
• Dropped objects
• Walkway obstructions
• Uneven flooring and other surfaces
• Equipment failure, especially in receiving areas
• Vehicle accidents in receiving areas
• Unsecured items falling from shelving

Here are three easy steps employers can take in order to reduce or eliminate workplace accidents:

Slip-resistance

Slip-resistant flooring can help reduce accidents in areas where food is handled and served as well as other wet processing areas. This flooring can be installed at a pitch to sanitary drainage systems in order to prevent standing water. This also ensures any bacteria (an infection risk) in puddles of water are quickly removed.

Avoiding trips

Durable flooring built to withstand wear and tear from heavy traffic, machinery, and other industrial processes will help reduce cracking or peeling over time. The thicker the floor, the stronger it will be and the less often it will need repair or replacement.

Multi-colored or patterned flooring can also present a hazard, by making dropped items harder to spot. Choosing a single-colored epoxy resin helps increase visibility.

It’s important to note areas with permanent trip hazards and mark them with colored signage. Be cautious of warning tape, which can easily peel away and cause additional hazards.

Demarcation

Demarcation is the process of ‘zoning’ a space into several sites used for specific processes (such as raw food preparation and cooked food preparation). It helps staff understand what hazards to expect. Often, each area will have its own designated color of epoxy flooring.

In addition to clearly outlining the purpose of a section, demarcation also reduces the chance of contamination between raw and cooked food.

Ucrete Flooring Systems from Master Builder Solutions

The Ucrete flooring systems from Master Builder Solutions are especially effective in preventing slips and eliminating bacteria. Each polyurethane screed in the Ucrete flooring system uses silver (in partnership with Polygiene) to eliminate up to 99 percent of bacteria on contact when paired with a regular cleaning regime. This helps keep produce fresh and prevents easy infections.

Additionally, Ucrete is:

• Slip-resistant
• Chemical resistant
• Abrasion-resistant
• Joint-free
• Available in a variety of colors

Install Workplace-Safe Flooring with Surface Solutions

Don’t let workplace accidents happen again—protect your employees, your reputation, and your finances with slip-resistant, durable, industrial flooring. Reach out to Surface Solutions, a leading provider of industrial flooring for the food and beverage industry, to speak about your specific needs today.