Floor cleaning as a preventive measure against slips and falls

Abstract

In Québec, falls due to slipping represent 5.6% of occupational accidents. Annually, they result in more than 53,000 weeks of absence and payouts exceeding $25 million. This project is based on a series of prior activities, carried out in collaboration with users, manufacturers and the CSST. It consists of five aspects for study: aquaplaning characterizing the slipperiness of wet floors; the regeneration of deeply soiled porous floors; optimum maintenance for reducing slipping and aquaplaning in the presence of food grease; maintenance of floors exposed to chemical contaminants; and maintenance of floors coated in acrylic. The result will be the development of a method for determining the resistance of floors to aquaplaning and the appropriate parameters, as well as the creation of information tools containing all of the relevant results. By contributing to user training, the knowledge thus produced will be useful for reducing falls from slipping in target workplaces.

Produced Under this Project

Scientific Publications

Optimal cleaning for safer floor
Quirion F.
Source :
in Contemporary Ergonomics 2004, McCabe, P.T. (éd), Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2004, p. 28-32
Improving slip resistance with optimal floor cleaning
Quirion F.
Source :
in Contemporary Ergonomics 2004, McCabe, P.T. (éd), Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2004, p. 48-52
Optimal cleaning for safer floors
Quirion F.
Source :
in Proceedings of the International Symposium of slips, trips and falls, Ergonomics Society Annual Conference, (April 14-16, 2004 : Swansea, UK), 2004
Improving slip resistance with optimal floor cleaning
Quirion F.
Source :
in Proceedings of the International Symposium of slips, trips and falls, Ergonomics Society Annual Conference, (April 14-16, 2004 : Swansea, UK), 2004
L'entretien des planchers pour améliorer la résistance au glissement
Quirion F.
Source :
in 14e Colloque sur la santé et la sécurité au travail (CSST) Chaudière-Appalaches et Québec, (14e : 16 novembre, 2004 : Québec, Canada), 2004
Top floor
Quirion F.
Source :
Safety and Health Practioner, June 2004, p. 38-40
L'entretien pour la prévention des glissades et chutes de plain-pied
Quirion F.
Source :
Varennes, Qc. QI Recherche et développement technologique. Site Internet (http://www.qinc.ca/entretien/index1.html)
The impact of heel material, detergent and acid etch on the risk of slipping and sliding on wet floorings
Quirion F., Poirier P.
Source :
in Proceedings of the XIX Annual International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference, (19th : June 27-29, 2005 : Las Vegas, U.S.A.), 2005
Aquaplaning threshold and wet friction of various floorings
Quirion F., Poirier P.
Source :
in Proceedings of the 16th World Congress of the International Ergonomics Association / IEA (16th : July 10-14, 2006 : Maastricht, Netherlands), CD-ROM, Pikaar, R.N., Koningsveld, E.A.P., Settels, P.J.M. (éds), Elsevier, 2006
The falling plate method: evaluating the risk of aquaplaning on wet floors
Quirion F., Poirier P.
Source :
Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 6, no 2, 2007, p. 71-80
Optimal cleaning to prevent slippery floors in restaurants
Quirion F., Poirier P., Lehane P.
Source :
Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 6, no 1, 2007, p. 25-33
Training tools to improve floor cleaning and reduce slips and falls in the food industry
Quirion F., Massicotte A., Boudrias S., Poirier P., Hadjiev N., Gionet B., Amyot F.
Source :
in Proceedings of the International Conference on Slips, Trips and Falls: From Research to Practice, (August 23-24, 2007 : Hopkinton, U.S.A.), IEA Press, 2007, p. 118-122
Optimal cleaning depends on the type and condition of the flooring being cleaned
Quirion F., Poirier P., Lehane P.
Source :
in Proceedings of the International Conference on Slips, Trips and Falls: From Research to Practice, (August 23-24, 2007 : Hopkinton, U.S.A.), IEA Press, 2007, p. 178-182
Improving the cleaning procedure to make kitchen floors less slippery
Quirion F., Poirier P., Lehave P.
Source :
Ergonomics, vol. 51, no 12, 2008, p. 2013-2029
A procedure to prepare fouled and worn quarry tiles
Quirion F., Massicotte A., Poirier P., Hadjiev N.
Source :
in Contemporary Ergonomics 2008 : Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics (CE2008), (April 1-3, 2008 : Nottingham, U.K.), Bust, P.D. (éd), 2008, p. 657-662
Impact of spreading flour and salt on floor slipperiness
Quirion F., Poirier P.
Source :
in Contemporary Ergonomics 2008 : Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Ergonomics (CE2008), (April 1-3, 2008 : Nottingham, U.K.), Bust, P.D. (éd), 2008, p. 651-656
Beware! Slippery floor: A training tool to improve floor cleaning and reduce slips and falls (Poster)
Quirion F.
Source :
in World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, (18th : June 29-July 2, 2008 : Seoul, Korea), 2008
Beware! Slippery floor: An interactive game to improve floor cleaning and prevent slips and falls in the food industry
Quirion F., Amyot F., Bionet B.
Source :
in 2008 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium, (4th : October 21-23, 2008 : Pittsburgh, USA), 2008
Beware! Slippery floor
Quirion F., Amyot F., Gionet B.
Source :
in 7th International Film and Multimedia Festival : 18th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, (7th : June 29-July 2, 2008 : Seoul, Korea), 2008
The impact of chemical treatments on the wear, gloss, roughness, maintenance, and slipperiness of glazed ceramic tiles
Quirion F., Massicotte A., Boudrias S., Poirier P.
Source :
Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 9, no 2, 2009, p. 97-110
Surface properties and slip resistance of glazed ceramic tiles over-treated, or treated multiple times, with hydrofluoric acid
Quirion F., Poirier P.
Source :
Journal of Environmental Health Research, vol. 11, no 1, 2011, p. 17-27

Additional Information

Type: Project

Number: 0099-1790

Status: Completed

Year of completion: 2009

Research Field: Mechanical and Physical Risk Prevention

Team:

François Quirion (QInc)