There was a problem the other day at a California National Landmark. A visiting tourist slipped on the steps leading up to the building and hurt herself. The Historical Society quickly became concerned not only for the woman’s wellbeing and physical condition, but for a huge financial liability if a lawsuit were to develop.

Maintaining safe footing for guests is truly a matter of Maintenance! Trouble arises when the complexity or the cost of that maintenance makes it easy to put off for another time, putting people at risk.

Maintenance Directors or Engineers should look for safety coatings that don’t require complex mixing or multiple components or the use of noxious fumed solvent based products. Also they should try to avoid products with a short “pot life” as there will be a lot of costly waste. Products that are difficult to use will be avoided by workers or engineers, that’s the fact of life and a reason that good maintenance is often avoided or at least delayed.

In order to “Maintain” a safe footing, it’s best to have an easy-to-apply non slip product. A water based coating will have no smog creating solvents escaping into the atmosphere. The right safety coating will be earth friendly and one that’s easiest to apply and maintain in order to provide a safe footing.

Here are some basic slip and fall statistics, taken from the National Safety Council and the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• Over one million people in the United States experience a significant slip, trip, or fall each year.
• An average of 17,000 Americans die from their slip and fall accidents
• Falls account for one quarter of serious injuries in the workplace.
• The most frequently injuries incurred from all are back, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and knee injuries. In general, joint injuries are most common.
• A death from an on-the-job slip and fall is estimated to cost an average of $940,000 – on top of the victim’s family’s loss and trauma.
• Slips and falls are the third largest cause of workplace injuries.
• Slips and falls are the single most common reason for visits to the emergency room.
• The average cost of a slip and fall injury is $28,000, including medical bills, physical therapy, & missed wages.
• Slips and falls are the number two cause of accident death and disability, following behind automobile accidents.
• Slips and falls lead to 104 million lost workdays per year in North America – that’s 4,000 lifetimes!
• Seventy percent of slips and falls occur on level ground.
• Trip and fall injuries cost the US $36 billion each year.
• Slip and fall accidents kill more workers than all other on-the-job fatalities combined.
• 55 percent of those over 40 have suffered a debilitating slip and fall accident during their lifetimes.

Maintaining a “Safe Footing” can dramatically reduce slip and fall accidents!

Soft Tread and Safe Tread by Acry-Tech Coatings boast a Coefficient of Friction (CoF) of 0.68 for a great combination of safe footing and foot friendliness. Both products are water based, single component and easy to apply with our texture roller and can be found at www.acrytech.com.