How to Reduce Slips, Trips and Falls in the Food Industry

Slips, trips and falls are common injuries among food and beverage employees. Liquid and food spills, greasy floors, uneven surfaces, and heavy traffic all contribute to a hazardous workplace environment in all kinds of food industry facilities.

Fortunately, by putting appropriate preventative measures in place, you can prevent slippery floors, create safer working conditions and reduce the risk of these accidents.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in the Food Industry

The first step in preventing slip and fall accidents in the workplace is determining what causes them. Slip, trip and fall injuries in the food industry are usually caused by spills, uneven or wet floors, low visibility, leaking equipment or walkway obstructions.

Food, Drink and Oil Spills

When foods, drinks, oils, greases or flours are spilled on the floor of a food processing factory, commercial kitchen or other facility, employees and visitors can slip and become seriously injured. These spills are extremely common in the food and beverage industry.
Floor Composition

Hygiene and sanitation are of the utmost importance in the food and beverage industry, which results in regular, consistent cleaning procedures. As floor surfaces are cleaned, they become wet, creating a slipping hazard. Even if the flooring has some level of slip resistance when dry, it may turn slippery when exposed to moisture.

Uneven Surfaces

Uneven floor surfaces—steps, loose floorboards, cracks or crevices in the surface, bumps in the concrete, etc.—are easy to trip on. Additionally, a poorly maintained and unprotected floor will deteriorate, causing any coating layer to lift and pull away from the substrate, exacerbating the problem.

Low Visibility

If the lights are too bright or too dark, or if they cast a shadow or glare on the floor, it can be difficult for people navigating the floor to see tripping and slipping hazards. Floors with low visibility and little colour contrast also make it harder to see dropped objects that could cause someone to fall.

Equipment Malfunctions

Broken equipment may leak water, oil, grease, or other fluids on the surrounding floor, creating an unexpected and highly dangerous slipping hazard for passersby.

Obstructions

Any obstructions, especially those in walkways, can contribute to a hazardous situation. From dropped objects and fallen items to misplaced hoses, cords or wires, these obstructions are accidents waiting to happen.

9 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Slippery Floors in Food and Beverage Facilities

Unsafe flooring conditions put food industry employees at risk of slip, trip and fall accidents. Prevention is the best way to ensure the safety of workers, visitors and products. Follow these steps to reduce workplace injuries.

Choose Flooring with Anti-Slip Properties

Floor solutions with slip resistance help reduce slip, trip and fall accidents in food and beverage facilities. Anti-slip flooring comes in degrees, so you can install varying levels of slip resistance in different areas of the food manufacturing plant. Ensure the flooring maintains its non-slip properties in both dry and wet conditions to further contribute to a safe working environment.

Install Durable, Highly Resistant Flooring

Durable, highly resistant flooring designed to withstand the daily wear and tear of the food and beverage processing won’t crack, peel or lift, even when exposed to impacts, abrasions, chemicals, thermal shocks or moisture.

Ensure High Visibility

Visibility is a key part of preventing slips, trips and falls—if workers can see hazards ahead of time, they can avoid them. While multi-colored or patterned flooring makes it difficult to spot dropped items, cords or fallen tools, a single-coloured resin floor system ensures it’s easier to see tripping hazards or spills beforehand.

Hang Safety Signage

Safety signage, whether applied directly to the floor or hung on the walls, is a helpful way to warn people about areas where tripping or slipping hazards are common. Use colourful signage that is easy to see to ensure workers don’t miss the warning.

Demarcate Zones

Demarcate the flooring system by using different colours to identify each zone. Create zones based on how the area is used, clearly separating foot traffic from forklift and other heavy traffic such as for working with raw food materials or spaces where beverage spills are likely. The demarcation helps employees identify what hazards to expect in each marked area of the food processing plant floor.

Require Employees to Wear Suitable Footwear

Establish rules requiring employees to wear slip resistant shoes or non-slip overshoes when working in areas with consistently slippery floors. This type of footwear can significantly prevent the risk of slipping and falling, even on wet surfaces.

Create Effective Drainage Systems

Install effective drainage systems in the floor, especially in areas that undergo regular washdowns. Make sure all liquids, food, contaminants, water and other spills that come into contact with the floor can flow easily down the drain.

Maintain Equipment

Conduct routine maintenance on equipment and machines. Ensure there are no oil or water leaks. If possible, install edged surfaces and mats to contain any surprise spills that may occur.

Establish a Cleaning Routine

Have a cleaning routine in place to keep floors clean from spills and clear of obstructions. If floors are wet after cleaning, use signage or barriers to mark the area until it is dry.

Resin Flooring: The Best Way to Prevent Slippery Floors

To reduce the risk of workplace accidents and protect employees from slip and fall injuries, install food-safe, non-slip flooring in your food manufacturing or processing facility. Resin floor coatings are the best way to prevent slippery floors. They offer advanced anti-slip properties, even in wet conditions. For example, the Sherwin-Williams FasTop™ line of resin flooring has a seamless yet textured surface, which provides protection even during washdowns and cleanings.

Additionally, resin floor systems are available in a variety of colours and glosses, making it easy to add safety signage, zone demarcations and other visual cues as needed to improve worker safety. Sherwin-William food and beverage resin flooring also comes in a variety of bright colours so facilities can be designed with visibility in mind.

If you are constructing or renovating a facility in the food or beverage industry, start your flooring search at Sherwin-Williams.

Looking for Food-Safe, Non-Slip Resin Flooring Solutions? Contact Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams is the leading provider of floor coatings for the food and beverage industry. Our line of high performance resin flooring offers superior resistance to moisture, chemicals, impacts and abrasions. With our durable, non-slip, easy-to-clean and long-lasting food and beverage flooring solutions, you can extend the lifespan of your manufacturing or processing plant floors and experience cost savings for years to come.

Contact a Sherwin-Williams representative today to learn more about our food-safe epoxy flooring solutions for the food and beverage industry.