While many industries have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, one that has not been is the grocery store industry.
Further, according to a new study by Manifest, a business news organisation, 62 per cent of Americans still prefer to shop in-store for groceries instead of use delivery services.
With business up and most people still preferring in-store shopping, grocery store slip and fall accidents are a concern.
To help prevent these accidents, Kaivac, developers of cleaning systems specifically designed for cleaning convenience and grocery stores, identifies “Nine Slip and Fall Risk Factors” store managers should be aware of:
“Wet floor” slip resistance
Some hard surface floors may be slip-resistant when dry but become slippery when wet. Store managers should select floors that retain their resistance, dry and wet.
Surface changes
Walking from one-floor type to another increases the chances of a slip and fall accident.
Floor mats
Designed to help prevent accidents, mats that are loose, folded, lumpy, or have raised edges can be a significant risk factor.
Obstructions
Extension cords, hoses, boxes, or carts in walkways can make for an unsafe floor.
Visibility
Poor lighting, glare, shadows, or lights that are too bright can impede visibility.
Foreign substances
Ice, grease, and spills are significant contributors to hazardous floors.
Inadequate floor cleaning procedures
Mopping can spread slippery oil, grease, and soils on floors and collect on mops and in mop water, making for very hazardous conditions.
Level changes
Unexpected slopes in the floor or raises of three steps, or less can contribute to accidents.
Distractions
Anything that distracts a shopper such as boxes on a walkway, food items on the floor, foul odors, mops or buckets, even floor ads have contributed to slip and fall accidents.
“Safety is, of course, a top concern,” said Mike Perazzo with Kaivac.
“But grocery stores also have very tight profit margins. The more you can eliminate some of these [floor] risk factors, the more profitable you can be.”
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