Are you aware that many people die while some others sustain permanent injuries regularly as a result of slip and fall accidents?
This was the crux of a Suresteps’ International trainer and safety expert Mr. Tomasz Wolski’s address during his recent three-day training visit to No-Slips Limited in Nigeria.
The floor treatment and safety expert made the shocking revelation while conducting training for staff of No-slips Limited, the sole representative and service provider of Suresteps’ non-slip products in the country.
Tomasz, who has trained people of all levels on floor safety all over the world said,“slip and fall accidents is one of the greatest threat to human lives especially since not many people take it seriously despite its high rate of occurrence in offices, homes and other public places.”
Tomasz further explained that slip and fall accidents can happen almost anywhere and all around us claiming countless human lives and leaving some others with permanent injuries.
He said that that people have the tendency to trivialize this accident which has one of the highest number of occurrences in the world, because they feel it’s not as devastating as fire or motor accidents.
The global trainer shared, “Floor safety is important because we walk on floors every day. Safety and health are the two most important aspects of our wellbeing so why won’t we care about it. Very often people forget about floor safety but I think that our floors should never be unsafe. We are always careful when walking on wet floors because we know that there is every possibility of it being slippery and that’s why there is Surestep.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Charles Igbinidu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of No-Slips Limited said, “We don’t really report this kind of accident, because we feel it’s not as devastating as other kinds of accidents. That is why in Nigeria there are no accurate statistics to show the number of times it happens. It is rarely reported in the news and so it’s not taken seriously. What we do know however is that this accident is common and can be fatal. There are reports of people who have lost their lives because they simply slipped and fell.”
Also, the international trainer said “If you consider statistics where it is available in some parts of the world, you will discover that there are a very good number of slip and fall accidents that happen at homes and workplaces resulting in permanent injuries, death and in some cases prolonged litigation.”
Mr. Wolski said that, Property owners and property managers have a legal obligation to ensure that their floors are reasonably safe for the public to walk on or use.
“It’s unfortunate that property owners and facility managers usually start thinking about floor treatment after an accident has happened. They should not wait for an accident to occur before they act. That is why, whenever I have the opportunity I like speaking with them because the repercussion a fatal slip and fall accident that happens in their facility will have on their business will definitely outweigh whatever it would have cost them to put measures in place to prevent it. It’s important for facility managers to have their floors and swimming pools treated to give their customers confidence that they are safe when using their facility.” He said.
According to him many outdoor slip and fall injuries are the result of recently mopped or waxed floors, hazardous weather conditions like rain which makes floors become easily slippery. He added that as people get older, their sense of balance deteriorates. Many senior citizens are at an increased risk of falling, and when they do, they’re much more likely to sustain life-threatening injuries, for example hip fracture.
“Guests can be injured after they lose their footing on slippery floors including stairways, posing significant risk to visitors.
Tomasz who had the opportunity of visiting some of No-slips corporate clients in Lagos Nigeria said he was encouraged by the way some Nigerians are taking floor safety seriously adding that it means they value the lives of their staff and guests. He admonished other corporate organizations who are yet to have their floors treated to do so for the benefit of their staff, guests and company.
The international trainer assured that No-slips Limited treatment of floors and bathtubs will not result in discoloration of the floors, stressing that the chemical is fully neutralized, after polishing is done and is environmental friendly.
“The good thing about the formula is that it’s not only invisible but it also does a great job in creating slip resistance on your floor, to make it much safer to walk on especially when its wet. So, they should expect to have the same floor that they had only now, it’s slip resistant. A floor treated with Surestep formula will become more slip resistant than before. Although it depends on the surface but basically, it’s usually gets between 100 to 400% deeper slip-resistance than before. You will notice a dramatic difference in slip resistance on the floor immediately after treatment,” he said.
