Many times facility managers find building users take unexpected pathways in order to travel from point A to point B. While these unusual pathways may prove faster, if managers have not ensured these pathways are safe, they can be a slip and fall accident waiting to happen.

Hamilton, Ohio-based Kaivac, a manufacturer of cleaning equipment and systems, suggests the following ways restaurant owners/managers can make unexpected pathways safer, such as:
 

  •  Remove or limit distractions; ensure that pathway walkers can concentrate on exactly where they are going.

  •  Look for obstructions that may be protruding, especially ones below the knee and hard to see, and remove them.

  •  If there are steps, place warning cones before the steps or mark them with red tape.

  •  Avoid vivid floor or carpet patterns; these can cause sight confusion.

  • Make sure the pathway is well lit and glare free.

  • Evaluate cleaning procedures; often unexpected pathways do not receive proper cleaning attention.

  • If the pathway is a hard surface floor, use alternative cleaning systems that do not require the use of mops and buckets; mopping floors tends to spread soils that can make floors slippery.

  • If spills tend to occur on the pathway, place mats over the walkway until it can be cleaned.