Accounting for 1.3 million lost working days annually, the HSE estimates Slips and Trips in the workplace cost UK employers £512 million per year – yet the simple act of implementing an effective cleaning regime can drastically reduce the risks, helping to protect both your employees and your business.
While many may envisage slip hazards as exclusively the realm of industrial environments such as oily workshops or greasy commercial kitchens, in reality over 40% of all workplace accidents reported are caused by slips and trips and every sector is affected because contamination of any sort – from clean water to seemingly innocuous dust – greatly impairs a floor’s slip resistance.
Wet cleaning is generally the preferred method on hard floors because it suppresses dust and delivers better results. However, traditional mop and bucket cleaning leaves floors wet, creating slip hazards and encouraging bacteria to spread. Kärcher Scrubber Driers provide a safer, more consistent and more efficient alternative. They scrub the floor in a wet process and dry it by recovering the washing solution in a single pass – vastly reducing cleaning man-hours and crucially preventing slip hazards for those entering the area and the operator themselves.
Scrubber Driers also offer a much more thorough clean than a mop and bucket can achieve. Kärcher’s smallest scrubber drier, the BR 30/4, for example, is no bigger than a vacuum cleaner and just as agile – yet it achieves ten times higher contact pressure than manual cleaning whilst removing moisture in both forward and backward travel. Like much of Kärcher’s comprehensive range, the 30/4 is also available in a battery powered version, meaning the potential trip hazard of trailing cables is eliminated.
Misuse of detergent is another common factor in overly slippery floors; incorrect ratios may render a detergent ineffective, while a floor that has not been neutralised is likely to gather dirt faster. For a cost efficient, effective clean many Kärcher machines feature the DOSE system (Demand Oriented Supply of Detergent) to supply a controlled mix of chemical to the brush head.
Adopting efficient cleaning technology in the workplace doesn’t only mitigate the risk of costly slips and trips – helping to fulfil your legal obligations under The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The resource and time saving benefits of Kärcher Scrubber Driers often mean they are much more cost-effective than alternative methods of cleaning. Further savings can be made with Kärcher floor cleaning solutions via the following:
• Due to their efficient use of water, all Kärcher’s walk-behind, step-on and ride-on Scrubber Driers feature on the Water Technology List, enabling businesses to claim 100% tax relief on their purchase under the government’s Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme
• For the remainder of 2014, Kärcher is pleased to offer up to £200 cashback on all compact scrubber drier purchases*
With a comprehensive range of size and configuration options, delivering performance up to 8,000m2 per hour, it’s easy to find the right Kärcher machine for your every requirement.
This article contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence.
* Terms and conditions apply, see www.karcher.co.uk for details.
Tel: 01295 752142
Email: cleaning@karcher.co.uk
Comments are closed.