Posted By Mitch Michael, On what basis were Travelodge fined? What had they failed to do/control and how does this compare to your organisations facilities/management system?

Posted By Ron Impey I judge that the best approach would be to investigate if there are any slipping hazards, and if there are, take effective direct measures to rectify. The posting of warning signs would only be appropriate if it was not possible to correct the situation. I have seen anti-slip mats supplied in some hotel bathrooms, but all it takes is for a guest not to use one and ..... An alternative if the application of a non-slips coating, etc., was not possible? I understand that at Travelodge an anti-slip treatment could have been applied to each bath for about £30, but no action was taken for up to 2 years following the accidents.

Posted By Karen Todd Lots of useful info on the HSE website. Also check out HSG155. You can measure the slip resistance of the flooring using a pendulum and surface microroughness meter and quantify the problem. Treatments are available which are relatively cheap - you could probably treat the entire area for less than what 1 claim would cost. Karen

Posted By CFT Root cause analysis leads me to conclude the floor as being the immediate causation factor, remove slippiness and problem solved. A bonded non slip surface is all that is required. Anything else is a half measure. CFT

Posted By Karen Todd Assuming that it is in fact tiled and not a plastic shower tray. The cleaning regime may also warrant further inspection as things that may contribute to slips are: - Detergent residue - "Grease" from shed skin Karen

Posted By Michael Thomas Sorry for the delay in getting back, have been out of the office for a couple of days. Thank you all for the advice and tips. I will certainly take all your comments on board. Have already completed the RA, this will get us over the first hurdle and avoid any immediate falling out with the HSE if something did occur! Just to put a bit more "meat on the bone", the College has over 1000 showers and baths. Unlike, for instance, a Hotel chain, we have a huge variety of different baths, shower trays and a multitude of tiling surfaces. This tends to negate a lot of the testing solutions. Again, unlike Hotels, our customers are all military personnel so tend to be all able-bodied and reasonably fit, so in theory should be able to look after themselves! I do believe gels and shaving products have an effect on the condition of the surface and I will check with our cleaning contractors. Again another side effect of H&S is the limitation of cleaning products to ensure safety. With so many different surfaces, the practicality of non-slip surface coatings may be difficult. In addition this possible huge cost would have to be born out of the "public purse" so to speak. For now I think we will brief all Trainees of the hazard, place signs where we think they will be of benefit, and carry out an inspection programme to highlight any that appear somewhat slippier than what is norm. We hope this together with accident monitoring will go some way to proving we are doing all that is reasonably practicable. Another thing we have to consider is this does not just affect our site, but possibly accomodation throughout the entire military arena. One of the things that concerns me slightly regards the prosecution of Travelodge. Without knowing the full details of the case, 5 slip incidents within an organisation that has many thousands of baths and probably hundreds of thousands of guests per year could seem to be overzealous. This is of course purely my opinion. I believe a slip getting in and out of baths and shower cubicles has always been, and always will be a risk. Sorry for the length of the reply. Again many thanks for your input.

Posted By Konstanty Budkiewicz Michael, At home, I have a bath with a stand-in shower facility. The bath has a low friction surface, and its friction capability is adversely affected by shower-related products. To aide stability of shower users, I have installed a half-metre grab handle adjacent to the shower head/ controller wheel (found users could become unsteady when soap got in eyes). Underfoot, have bought a half-metre suction cup-faced waterproof mat, that has an upper friction surface (retail £10). Admittedly, cleaning of mould build-up base is an issue as indicated in the above responses. So I clean once a month and replace 6-monthly. Hope the above countermeasures are of use when you consider controlling some of your higher risk installations. Finally, yesterday, mindful of your situation, I spotted a new sexy shower installation that was fitted with wooden duck boards as the walk-in friction surfaces. I seem to remember that the military made great use of this approach in similar situations. Cheers Kon CMIOSH

Posted By Tabs Kon, wet wood is lethal after a while. It tends to get impregnated and the soap etc., floats on top and whoosh!

Posted By Colin Reeves I use a mat in my home environment and it is OK, but does need regular cleaning to keep it it non-slip and hygienic. There are only two of us so what diseases I get we both get!! However, in Michael's situation, I suspect that some, if not all, the locations he is concerned with have multiple users. In this case I believe the hygiene problems associated with rubber mats would far outweigh any slip protection and I would not consider this a sensible solution. Colin

Posted By Konstanty Budkiewicz Tabs and John C, Thank you for your observations, my point was that when faced with a hazard that has caused significant harm, controls are available at little initial cost. However, as you indicate, they usually come with a support maintenace price tag. I acknowledge that elimination is best: my reason for posting was to identify available interim solutions; albeit with a cost tag. In my case, this includes a post-use wash down of the surface and the employment of a weekly cleaner to support and maintain the efficiency of my countermeasures. I find the same issues arise in the work place; particularly, with the over reliance on RPE and PPE. You will no doubt be pleased to hear that funding is in place to refit my bathroom with a standalone new tech shower. One interesting aspect that arises here when discussing the slip issues, do we all use too much, or the wrong range of shower type gells? I suspect that the over-use of high density hair conditioner may be the slip-related culprit. Kon CMIOSH

Posted By Andy Petrie Take out the showers, it's not like students to wash anyway

Posted By CFT Joe HSWA 1999???? Perhaps you are making reference to the The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 or HSWA 1974. CFT

Posted By Jane Blunt Have you tried actually entering and leaving the shower trays? Sometimes the height of the floor is different and this alone can create considerable problems. In one University that I frequently visit the shower trays are above the floor level, and stepping out from the tray is always difficult, whether the floor is non-slip or not. You are going over a ledge and stepping down with wet feet. I can heartily recommend handrails, as well as making sure the floor is not slippery. Jane