As specifiers match flooring to a building’s different spaces, COF is a data-driven measurement that can be used to make decisions about materials.
Recognizing potential danger zones
In any given facility, 10 percent or more of the space can be considered high-risk for slips, trips, and falls. The specifier can consider the following areas as high-priority for implementing high-traction flooring material selection:
Changes in the walking surface
Slips, trips, and falls are most likely to occur when a person moves from a higher friction surface, such as cement, to a lower friction surface, such as ice. Design teams should be aiming to create continuity throughout the facility design and material choices to reduce changeovers from one material to another.
Wet environments
In manufacturing facilities that process chemicals, foods, beverages, and other wet products, water, oil, grease, and other liquids can make already low-friction surfaces even more slippery. Also, trenches and round drains that funnel liquids are often used in these production plants as well. If employees walk over drains during work, they should be fabricated with anti-slip material.
High-traffic thorough fairs
Main walkways are inherently high-risk areas for slips, trips, and falls because of the amount of people in one space. Maximize safety for people in these bustling crosshairs by limiting access.
Operations areas
In industrial buildings, employees operate carts, trucks, and forklifts that can be difficult to control on slippery surfaces. Specify a surface that can withstand heavy-duty equipment and high-traffic by providing high traction despite wet or oily conditions.
Production lines
Workers also engage with critical equipment and supplies required for production, such as mixers, cutting tools, and knives. In-ground mixing augers are particularly easy to fall into because they are below the floor. If surrounded by diamond plate, which becomes highly slippery when wet from pouring and product spillage, a dangerous combination presents itself. Since the secondary consequences of a slip-and-fall accident can be severe or even deadly, these areas require maximum safety. Flooring materials around dangerous equipment should exceed the recommended COF standard and be constructed with technologies designed to maintain high-friction status under normal operating conditions for the area.
Indoor/outdoor spaces
Inside/outside areas, such as loading docks, bays, foyers, and entryways, are exposed to outdoor elements and people track in mud, snow, and water inside from outdoor. For instance, commercial buildings that welcome the public often want to make a great first impression. They import beautiful Italian marble for grand entryways, but fail to consider how slippery the marble becomes on a rainy day when people enter with wet feet and dripping umbrellas. Maintenance crews often roll out “slippery when wet” signs and neoprene mats as temporary quick fixes to mitigate the slippery situation, however, as mats wear and curl on the edges, they become trip hazards themselves and another item that must be constantly monitored and replaced.
