Grip Potential were recently commissioned to conduct accident investigation at the site of a slip in a care home in Dundee. The injured party had fallen on a surface that was wet following cleaning.

A common misconception with the hard rubber buttoned floor in question is that it is anti-slip. The smooth rounded buttons serve to reduce contact area and generally do not provide an effective slip resistant profile.

Grip Potential's testing to BS 7976, adhering to the UKSRG and HSE guidelines on slip risk assessment, provided the claimant with overwhelming evidence that the floor was unsafe when wet. The case was settled out of court as a result.

This incident serves to show the importance of restricting access to any areas subject to a wet cleaning process until the surface is completely dry. Only a thin film of water is required to significantly increase the risk of a slip. An independent expert assessment before the incident would have saved the care home considerable time and money and prevented an unnecessary injury.