December 24, 2004—A new online Slips Assessment Tool (SAT) that evaluates potential risks to workers and others from floor slipping hazards in the workplace is being launched by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
SAT has been designed for those with responsibility for assessing slip hazards on smooth floors prone to contamination from substances such as water, food, oil, and dust. Already being used successfully by HSE and local authority enforcement officers, the software package is now being made available to the wider health and safety community.
The software consists of a computer-based package that is used in conjunction with a hand-held surface roughness meter—which users will need to purchase—to generate a “slip-risk” rating. This rating can then be used to determine the risk of pedestrians slipping in the area. A summary of the results can be saved to file for further analysis or a hard copy can be produced to provide those responsible for workplace safety with a record of the findings.
Unlike conventional slip test methods, SAT prompts the operator to consider a wide range of contributory factors, including floor surface properties, cleaning regimes, and recontamination rates. This will enable the user to determine the main causes of the slipping risk and to identify the most effective remedial action to control it.
Full instructions for the program are included with the software package, which can be downloaded from HSE’s SAT Web page.
