Posted By andy salmon
can i have your opinions on wet floor signage, when it should be displayed and the wording.

If, by displaying wet floor signage, are you admitting liability should somebody fall over, as you are recognising the floor is wet?

Is it acceptable to clean the wet floor, but get around the possible liabilty issue by having 'cleaning in progress' instead?

in our shopping centre, the entrances can often be wet in bad weather, and it seems there is a fine line between warning the customers of the potential hazard, and admitting possible liability.

any suggestions would be appriciated.

Andy

Posted By CFT
Several thoughts;

If the floor gets wet during the day its useless trying to dry it whilst folks are walking on it, vis one or three signs warning of the wet floor, fair enoughsky.

Someone slips over, you at least tried to warn of the problem, partially sighted not seeing the sign, easy, a looped tape played at 79db's warning about the wet floor; hearing and sight difficulties, not certain, I'd need to think further.

Slip with no sign and you have no defence, slip/trip with too many signs and you could be accused of creating an additional hazard, see ambulance chaser letter arrive.

Thats it, problem solved, shut said centre until weather is better, then no risk of slips and trips, and shut every time it rains, liability of risk commuted to who knows where.

Sensible approach springs to mind with suitably documented safe systems; that should be sufficient.

C

Posted By MT
As others have suggested, a wet floor sign does little good in terms of removing or controlling the hazard, and that is the key. The hazard is the floor, which you feel is slippery when it's wet. Remember that people will be wearing all manner of different shoes with different soles, so it may be slippy to some and not to others. It shouldn't be slippy for anyone.

You could try additional matting at the entrance to dry shoes off before people reach the part of the floor which is liable to become slippy.

If it's a major problem which needs to be looked into, as in perhaps replacing the floor surface, then you'll need to look at interim measures, such as stationing a cleaner to constantly dry the floor, or perhaps one who can pass by every 15 minutes to check. The floor would need to be dried each time too, not just mopped and left wet.

If I had to investigate an accident where the responsible party knew that the floor was liable to become slippery when wet and dealt with it purely by erecting a wet floor sign, I'm afraid I'd be likely to take enforcement action.

If you are concerned, then you could contact your local EHO, get them in to talk about it and give you advice. Enforcement officers are there to give advice too, and have a wealth of info and tools at their disposal which can help.

Posted By John C
Hierarchy of risk controls should ensure removal of risk before consideration is given to controlling it.