The majority of severe injuries on floors do not occur in the middle of a walkway. They occur at the edges. The transition points where concrete abuts metal, where a cover plate is slightly proud, or where a wet (e.g. a wash bay or preparation area subject to regular hosing or steam cleaning) intersects with a dry pathway. These are the areas that conventional surveys typically overlook, and that too often lead to an incident and sometimes litigation.
Start by Mapping Actual Foot Traffic, Not Assumed Routes
The first thing you need to do is determine where people actually walk, as opposed to where the floor plan says they should. Employees cut across corners, take the straightest path through a loading dock, dodge around a piece of equipment and a column, etc. Walk the facility yourself and do so when one shift is leaving and the other is entering. Mark every point where the character of a walking surface changes. Look particularly carefully at spots where the flooring abuts a utility access cover.
Any change in level of 1/4 inch or more is defined as a trip hazard under OSHA and ADA rules. That’s a low threshold, because it’s important. One edge of one cover plate extending just 1/16 inch too high in the main aisle of your loading dock, multiplied by the 1,500 times a week a forklift goes in and out, is a consistent trip point that factually triples the 1/16 inch to one of the leading risk factors in your workplace every time anyone passes it.
Check the Hardware, Not Just the Surface
The mechanical parts of a floor opening, hinges, locks, and lifting points, can be the source of an injury if not fully flush with the surface they are installed in. A lifting bolt that is 3mm proud of the hatch is an invisible hazard until someone’s toe finds it.
Specifying high quality floor access hatches with flush-fit lifting points removes opportunities for this type of injury, and gas-strut assisted covers eliminate the risk associated with multiple persons lifting heavy covers so one person can access a sump for routine scheduled maintenance or monitoring.
As part of your assessment, open each hatch or cover: the hinge should raise and lower with the same one finger pressure, the lock should co-ordinate with the lifting eye, and the cover should sit flush and fully closed.
Verify Load Ratings Before Something Fails
The weight capacity for cover plates and access points is often predetermined according to the specification. However, these specs are outdated as the requirements for access areas have changed and heavy equipment is now being moved over what was once presumed to be an area with foot traffic. Access areas and corridors are used to move heavy equipment to the server rooms for upgrades which involves moving heavy pallets on pallet jacks or even the use of a narrow-aisle forklift.
At the time of construction, the requirements were not in place and it was perceived that only foot traffic would travel along this path. Unfortunately, this is not reported and recorded hence it will be your responsibility as the owner to compile and review all floor covers in operational zones. Then compare the specified weight rating against the heaviest equipment that has and could have moved over it.
Assess Slip Resistance at Every Transition Zone
Metallic covers in wet-process areas, entryways, or near wash-down stations tend to lead to slippages. Falls on the same level are the second-highest reason for serious injuries in the workplace, costing companies an approximate $10.2 billion each year in direct worker’s compensation (2023 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index).
If a smooth metal plate gets wet, the coefficient of friction drops significantly. Any cover located in a moisture-prone zone should either use a checkered plate pattern or an applied anti-slip coating. Then the surface has to be regularly checked anti-slip coatings wear down and what looked as a decent coated surface two years ago, might not cut it today.
When performing an audit don’t only check the cover, check the surrounding. Drainage channels integrated into the cover’s perimeter ensure that liquids don’t pile up at the actual transition-point when someone’s sole touches the surface.
Don’t Stop at Floor Level
Similar principles apply for the areas located at levels above the ground. Risk assessment and evaluation of roof access hatches and elevated platform openings need to be considered with the understanding that a fall from height poses a higher risk compared to a fall on the same level. However, assessment criteria are similar i.e., are they secured with latches?
Close the Audit Loop Before Incidents Close it For You
The only good underfoot audit is one that actually leads to change. You can’t make safety updates to covers, plates, or access points that aren’t measured. Take photographic inventory of everything. Include load rating and condition information. Then make a plan to upgrade the weakest links.
