Preventing Slip, Trip-and-Fall Incidents in the Hospitality...
Transcript of Preventing Slip, Trip-and-Fall Incidents in the Hospitality...
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Preventing Slip, Trip-and-Fall Incidents
in the Hospitality Industry
Speaker’s Bio:Russell J. Kendzior is the President, and CEO of Traction Experts, Inc. and
Founder of the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI). Internationally recognized as the leading expert in slip-and-fall accident prevention, he is the creator of the Traction Plus® Safe Surface System , a unique combination of products that have been clinically proven to reduce slip-and-fall accidents by as much as 85 percent.
Sought nationwide as a safety consultant, public speaker, and expert witness, Kendzior is the author of the best selling book on accident prevention entitled, “Slip and Fall Prevention Made Easy” (Government Institutes, Inc., 1999) as well as the “OSHA Self-Inspection Checklist” (A.M. Best Company, 1997-current). Mr. Kendzior has written numerous articles on slip-and-fall accident prevention for such industry publications as Chain Store Age, ISSA Today, Services Magazine, Texas Lawyer, and Professional Retail Store Maintenance Magazine (PRSM). Mr. Kendzior has been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles and has been appeared on several nationally televised news programs including ABC News Good Morning America and Inside Edition. Mr. Kendzior has also been the focus of a documentary on floor safety aired by PBS stations nationwide.
Mr. Kendzior frequently lecturers various trade and professional associations. In 2005, he was appointed as a Technical Advisor to the Board of Delegates of the National Safety Council. Mr. Kendzior is a graduate of Bradley University with a BS in Mathematics.
The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) was founded in 1997 as a not-for-profit
501(c)-3 non-for profit organization with a mission to:
“aid in the prevention of slip, trip-and-fall accidents through education, research
and standards development”
Our Objective Today
• Inform you of a growing problem of slips, trips and falls
• Educate you to the cause-and-effect relationships that contribute to slips, trips and falls
• Provide you with relevant information which will allow you to better manage your slip, trip and fall problem
Insurance Claims
Cost as a Function of Floor Maintenance
• Slip and fall costs are a serious problem in the hospitality industry
• Slip and fall costs are a leading cause of employee and guest injuries
• For every dollar spent on floor care, you will spend three dollars paying for a slip and fall
Retail Maintenance Costs
($ Millions annually)
$1,000
Labor
62.5%
$150 $450
Chemicals
9.4% Slip and Fall Claims
28.1%
Slip, Trip and Fall Legal Costs
• Average cost of litigation $52,000
• Average Slip and fall settlement $24,500
• Average jury award $178,000
• Since 1980, personal injury lawsuits have risen
by more than 300%
Slip-and-Fall Costs
• It is estimated that slip’s, trip’s and falls costs the hospitality industry
more than $10 billion a year
• Average victim of a slip, trip and fall is a Caucasian female over the
age of 60
• Slip-and-fall related injuries are expected to double in
proportion to the growth of the nations elderly population
• Falls are the leading cause of emergency room visits in the U.S. and
the leading cause of accidental death for individuals over the age of 85
Most Common Fall Locations
1. Entrance Floors
• Trips on floor mats
• Wet floors
• Low traction flooring materials
2. Guest Rooms
• Slipped in bathtub
• Slipped getting out of bathtub
3. Stairs
• Improper stair nosing’s, treads, or design
• Inadequate lighting
The Effects of Polymerization Why Floors Become Slippery Over Time
New Quarry Tile (X1600)
Polymerized Quarry Tile (X1600)
Polymerization Removal
Before After
Walk-Off Matting
Warning Signs
Education and Training
• Self-Help Books
• Training Programs
• Internet / CD Rom
based training
Fraud
Hard Fraud – Soft Fraud
Slip, Trip and Fall Standards
... And How They Affect You!
Federal Regulations
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Rely upon and reference ANSI and ASTM standards
OSHA Regulations
Department of labor CFR 1910.22 describes keeping
floors “clean, orderly and in a sanitary condition”
Does not require that walkways met any specific COF
value
Does not specify any test method, standard, or test
instrument
Proposed new rule calls for walkways to be inspected by
a “Qualified Person”
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
ADA (ADAAG) appendix required that walkways
maintain a COF of 0.6 and 0.8 for ramps but did not
specify the test method, standard, testing instrument, or
condition (wet vs. dry)
Incorrectly referenced OSHA as having a 0.5 COF
requirement which was withdrawn via a bulletin
announcement in 2006
NFSI 101-A
Wet (Neolite) SCOF
method
Defines the Term
“High-Traction” as
those walking surfaces
whose wet SCOF >0.6
Tribometer Selection
Process
- BOT-3000 test device
NFSI 101-B
Wet (Neolite) SCOF method
Applies to floor cleaning agents and treatments
products whose wet SCOF increases by 20%> above
baseline are rated as high-traction
NFSI Product Certification Program
The NFSI has developed a product
certification program designed to assist the
hospitality industry in making
a more informed decision when selecting
appropriate walkway materials, finishes, and
floor maintenance products
Look For The NFSI Label…
…Its your guarantee that the product has been clinically
tested to meet the NFSI’s “High-Traction” standard of
enhanced slip resistance
ANSI B101.0 - ANSI B101.6
The Not-So-Distant Future
ANSI B101.1
Applies to all walkway surfaces (first ever uniform test
method)
Used in both the laboratory and the field
Defines 3-wet SCOF ranges or “Traction Levels”
High-Traction (0.6+)
Moderate Traction (0.4-0.60)
Low Traction (<0.4)
NFSI Walkway Auditing Guideline
References 101-A and 101-B standards
Sets out the “rules of the road” for the measurement of
walkway slip resistance
Defines the procedure by which floors can be evaluated
for the slip resistance performance
Currently being balloted as ANSI B101.0
ANSI B101.0 - B101.6
B101.0: This guideline provides a technical review of the science
of measuring surface friction (tribometry) including slip-and-fall
dynamics, its causes and contributing factors and the testing
devices and methods used to measure the slip resistance of
walkway surfaces.
B101.2: This standard covers the change in dynamic coefficient
of friction (DCOF) resulting from various chemical or physical
walkway surface treatments on ceramic tile or other hard floor
surfaces under wet conditions. This standard can be used in the
laboratory or in the field.
B101.3:This test method specifies the procedures and devices
used for both laboratory and field testing to measure the wet
dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) on common hard surface
floor surfaces.
B101.4: The purpose of this standard is to provide a means of
quantitatively, and meaningfully, assessing the slip resistance of
areas, and locations, that are expected, and/or known, to be wet
while being accessed by barefoot individuals, and to significantly
reduce the likelihood of injuries resulting from slips in these
areas.
B101.5:The purpose of this standard is to offer, at the point of
product sale, guidance to users/purchasers on the traction
capabilities of the contents of the package through the display of
labels and markings
B101.6:This standard provides criteria for the selection,
installation, inspection and maintenance of floor mats, runners,
and rugs as it relates to the prevention of slips, trips and falls.
National Floor Safety Institute
P.O. Box 92607
Southlake, TX 76092
www.nfsi.org
Russ Kendzior
(817)749-1705