Spring is a common time for slip and fall accidents due to seasonal rain that brings melting snow, mud, and wet damp conditions---a perfect recipe for disaster. With wet floors in entryways, near windows, in parking lots, and any exposed walkways---you can expect to meet the risk of slippery conditions at nearly every turn.  

April showers, bring forth more Slips and Falls.

It might seem like “weathering the storm,” is all you can do, but there are many preventative steps to take that can mitigate the risks of an incident occurring on your premises. To be proactive and develop a prevention plan for spring, it is important to identify where most spring slip and fall incidents occur.

Here are common areas where slip and falls occur in the spring:

• Walkways – When not maintained, or safety-proofed correctly, walkways may become damaged, and slippery residues can build over time. With the spring season especially, walkways often are left to dry with dirt and other residues left on the surface. It is important to properly maintain your walkways with the most applicable anti-slip floor treatment or anti-slip tape strategy to ensure safety.

• Parking Lots – With the damp conditions spring brings, paved surfaces that are painted can become unsafe. Be sure to evaluate the traction levels of painted areas of your parking lot. To increase traction on the spot, use an anti-slip floor coating to quickly remediate the slippery area.

Steps to reduce slips and falls in the spring:

1. Audit your facility to develop a safety plan – Assess the current condition of your facility to understand what risk factors and safety standards are most applicable to create an effective plan customized for your facility.
2. Conduct regular inspection and maintenance checks – Auditing your facility goes beyond a one-time analysis. You must create a regular inspection cadence to stay aware of your facility's conditions. The sooner you know about an issue, the better chance there is to act and decrease the risk potential for injuries.
3. Remedy problem areas right away – Do not allow a known instance of a slippery surface to exist. For example, if left uncleaned, a spill can turn into a bigger issue, damaging the floor or drying into an invisible film that is more slippery than ice when wet. These lurking slippery patches are dangerous in the spring when the weather warms and people are more active in times of low visibility such as the evenings.
4. Regular Safety Training – Creating a culture that places importance on safety benefits everyone. Teaching and demanding best practices from workers will reduce slip, trip, or fall incidents by highlighting the critical areas to maintain in the spring.

Here's a breakdown of common spring challenges to look out for to keep your property safe:

Melting Snow and Ice:

• Challenge: Freeze-thaw cycles create treacherous walkways as ice melts and freezes.
• Solution: When the surface is dry, treat walkway surfaces with an anti-slip treatment such as the Heavy Duty Unsealed Concrete Anti-Slip Floor Treatment for restoring compromised concrete surfaces to high-traction levels.

 Uneven Surfaces:

• Challenge: Cracks, bumps, and uneven surfaces caused by winter can lead to falls.
• Solution: Uneven surfaces may require professional repair but can be properly marked with Safety Tapes that increase visibility to the hazard while offering high-traction control-points for safer walking.

Poor Drainage:

• Challenge: Melting snow can overwhelm clogged drains, leading to puddles that can refreeze and become hazardous.
• Solution: Ensure proper drainage by clearing debris from gutters and drains. For persistent issues, consider professional drain cleaning services. Areas around drainage issues can be fortified quickly using either our Epoxy or Acrylic Spray solutions.

Tracked-in Moisture:

• Challenge: Moisture and residue carried inside on shoes creates slippery floors.
• Solution: Place a NFSI Certified High-Traction mat at entranceways. Regularly clean entranceways with Slip Resistant Floor Cleaners and replace mats when worn to maintain

Wet Stairwells:

• Challenge: Stairs become hazardous when wet or snowy.
• Solution: Use Step Covers and Treads designed to be applied over existing stairs thereby quickly creating a safe, slip-resistant surface that provides traction and safety.

Uneven Ramps:

• Challenge: Uneven ramps pose a particular risk for those with mobility issues, especially when wet.
• Solution: Regularly inspect ramps for damage or uneven surfaces. Try out FRP Walkway and Ramp Panels a heavy-duty solution that provides immediate and durable anti-slip protection - a quick fix for slippery ramp surfaces that cannot be easily resurfaced.

Spring Forward Safely: Prevent Slips and Falls with No Skidding Products

As we’ve outlined, spring brings unique safety challenges, however, being proactive and taking the proper preventative measures can significantly reduce the risk of slip and fall accidents on your premises during this season. By conducting regular facility audits, maintaining walkways and high-risk areas, implementing quick remediation solutions, and promoting safety training, you can create a safer environment for everyone. Prioritize safety and protect your business, employees, and customers from the unique challenges of the spring season.

To maximize safety, it is critical to use third-party certified anti-slip products. We get our products independently tested to verify effectiveness and are proud to uphold the standards laid forth by the NFSI to achieve the rating of “High-Traction” for our products. We hope you consider No Skidding products for your spring safety tune-up. Have a safe spring!