Contract Floors July 08

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It could be you
Don’t get hurt
Health and safety in the workplace is a to use a ‘truck’: a hand-held device on
Last year around 10,000 people suf- or reel) that removes contamination and
hot topic these days, with regulations wheels that enables you to move heavy
fered broken bones as result of a slip or dries the affected area. A stiff-bristled
being tightened, companies being held goods with all the strain on the truck and
trip at work, an average of one person deck brush is useful for removing resi-
more responsible and a growing litigious none on your joints and muscles. Trucks
every hour. dues and stains.
culture of “no win, no fee” claims for ac- are designed to be lightweight and easy
These injuries are among the most com- Larger areas are traditionally cleaned
cidents at work. to manoeuvre, making light work out of
mon in the workplace and the biggest using a conventional mop and bucket
Companies and employees alike need the heaviest of lifting.
cause is contamination on ﬂoors. but this can spread contaminants over a
to protect themselves from harm, es- Not only are trucks vital in helping to
It is no surprise that the HSE has wider area and leave a thin ﬁlm of liquid
pecially when their business involves save back muscles, they’re also perfect
targeted a reduction in slips and trips that actually increases the overall risk.
moving heavy goods. BiGDUG helps take for moving goods around small storage
through one of its major campaigns dur- A more effective option is to employ a
the strain with their array of trucks and areas or awkward spaces and when
ing 2008. It is clear that improved clean- two-bucket system, one with water and
trolleys, just part of their wider range of items need to be continually moved from
ing and ﬂoor care have a signiﬁcant role an appropriate cleaning product and the
shelving and racking. one location to another. All trucks capa-
to play in ensuring the success of this other with clean water to rinse. The ﬁlm
Everyone knows the best way to pro- ble of carrying weights of 150kg or more
initiative. of clean water can then be removed with
tect your back from undue strain is to have pneumatic tyres that make it easy
Slips and trips in kitchens and food squeegee blade to reduce the slip risk.
bend your knees and keep your back as to steer around the tightest corners. Even
serving areas are the most common Better still is to use a specialist cleaning
straight as possible when lifting heavy ﬂights of stairs can’t stop a truck in its
of all because of the increased risk of machine such as a scrubber drier that
items. But if you have to lift things con- tracks: the stairclimber truck has a three-
material including oil, water, food and completely removes contaminants from
tinually throughout your day then even wheel-in-one design that enables even
other debris falling onto the ﬂoor. the affected area.
this won’t protect you from possible heavy goods to easily be taken up stairs
These ﬂoors generally have a smooth Machines are not often used for
long-term damage. The safest option is or over kerbs.
surface so even a small amount of con- ﬂoors because of the relatively small
tamination can present a signiﬁcantly areas involved and the number of po-
increased risk. tential obstacles present. However, the
Any kitchen slip or trip is potentially latest generation machines - typically
very serious considering the prolifera- solution tanks under 20 litre capacity -
tion of sharp edges, hot liquids and even are now smaller than ever before and
hotter surfaces that could be unwitting- include more features - including scrub-
ly touched or grasped in an attempt to ber drier capability - that enable highly
regain balance. effective cleaning in the most conﬁned
Staff must be made aware of the spaces.
potential risks and trained to take re- The best machines have a curved
sponsibility for cleaning up every spill- squeegee blade that is more effective
age, however slight, immediately. Small because it is less likely to lose contact
areas are easily, and most effectively, with the ﬂoor surface when passing
cleaned using disposable paper (towels over tile joints.
Times are changing
John Alcock has taken over as president es that lie ahead and has major plans for
of the CFA. the CFA.
Replacing Terry Wolfe, John joined He also takes his responsibilities ex-
Laybond back in 1982, giving him 26 years tremely seriously and explained: ‘I took
of experience in the ﬂooring industry. to this position like a duck to water as
From the works chemist for Laybond, there are so many aspects of the job I
John moved to the manufacturing side like.’
of the business before moving back to a To speak to John or for more informa-
more technical role assisting sales. tion conact the CFA on 01159 411126 or
He is looking forward to the challeng- visit www.cfa.org.uk
visit www.ﬂoordata.com for the best in ﬂooring information Issue VII 2008 ContractFloors 13
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