Slips and falls account for more than 8 million emergency room visits every year, according to the National Floor Safety Institute, and a likely venue for falls to occur is at the laundromat. While no owner wants any of their customers to get injured, there are a lot of risks within a laundry facility: slippery floors, potential water leaks or spills from a machine, and customers carrying heavy loads of laundry across the floor. As such, it's more important than ever to do what you can to prevent such injuries from happening. With that in mind, today we'll discuss 6 ways to prevent a slip or fall at your laundromat.
1. Prevent a Slip or Fall by Posting Caution Signs
We've all seen these yellow caution signs that indicate that the floor is wet. These are not only obvious, but the universal standard to warning your patrons of potentially slippery floors. While these don't need to sit out 24/7, they should be easily accessible by employees and customers such that when a spill does occur, it can be addressed immediately.
2. Prevent a Slip or Fall by Using Anti-Slip Matting
The best approach to preventing slips and falls at your laundromat is to provide absorbent mats such as carpeting or anti-slip mats on top of your floor (especially by the doors). This doesn't necessarily prevent water from puddling on the floor, but is effective at soaking up any water or mud that may be walked in from the outside, and reduce slips or falls.
3. Prevent a Slip or Fall by Having Garbage and Recycling Bins Available
You may own a laundromat, but chances are that your customers will bring a few things with them while they wait including food and drinks which often leads to trash that collects on the floor and poses a slipping hazard to other customers and employees. People are much less likely to leave their garbage on the floor if they can easily access a trash can or recycling bin, so make sure to have multiple bins available throughout your facility to prevent slips and falls.
4. Prevent a Slip or Fall by Using Brightly Colored Electrical Cords
Another common tripping hazard for laundromats is electrical cords, especially those that are not neatly stored behind machines. While it's not possible to hide all cords, you can use brightly colored cords (or add colored tape to a black cord) to make them more visible, and hopefully prevent anyone from falling while the cord is exposed.
5. Keep Your Facility Well-Staffed to Prevent Slips and Falls
It's unrealistic to prevent all slips or falls from occurring, but you're much more likely to prevent them if your facility is well-staffed. Your staff should not only make sure that washers and dryers are in proper working order, but also make sure that carts are stored safely away and that any water is promptly mopped up.
6. Perform Regular Maintenance Checks to Prevent Slips and Falls
Building on the previous point, staff should also be cleaning regularly and performing maintenance checks around the facility. Make sure that any leaks are addressed immediately and broken seals are repaired as quickly as possible. A well-maintained laundromat is less likely to experience slips and falls than one that is self-managed.
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