Why spill tears on wet floors?
May 1st 2005 Slips and Trips are the biggest cause of major accidents to workers in the UK.Over 90% of such accidents result in broken bones and they account for half of all accidents, reported by the public to enforcing authorities.They cause massive costs to individuals, to employers and to society as a whole and as such are a priority topic for HSE and local authorities under the governments revitalizing Health and Safety campaign.
Most slip accidents occur when some form of contamination is present on the floor, such as spillages, rainwater brought in from outside, even tiny amounts of water left on smooth floors following cleaning.
As we all know, every proprietor has a duty and responsibility to maintain their property in as safe a manner as possible. But if there is a spill or you have to clean the floor during business hours, how do you prevent people walking on wet floors ? Most people have become so used to seeing the ‘Caution Wet Floor Sign’ they have just become numb to them.
The problem is clear and now, thankfully, so is the solution. An Irish inventor has come up with an amazingly simple way to dry a floor after it has been mopped. It’s called Driflor and it does exactly what it says on the tin – it dries the floor quickly, cheaply and thoroughly.
Using a patented dispenser which looks a bit like a double broom, the award-winning Driflor instrument uses a highly absorbant paper to dry the floor.With each pass the roll of paper moves on a fraction so that every swipe uses a fresh part of the roll.
McDonalds Ireland are using them (as are most of the supermarket chains and other retailers) while McDonalds headquarters in the US are testing them as you read this.
The facts speak for themselves: Driflor will leave a typical 2sq meter mopped floor bone dry in 10 seconds, as opposed to 7 minutes when left to dry naturally (H&S Executive UK). Instant,bone-dry floors mean fewer slips, fewer accidents and ultimately lower insurance costs. It is as simple as that.
In an independent test in 2003, the UK Health & Safety Laboratory declared:“Driflor greatly reduces the slip risk presented by wet floors”. But there is also the fact that there is no interruption to the working environment or to public areas which from a business point of view is a real bonus.
The paper floor drier recently won a Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award.
It is a cost-efficient way to keep the floor dry with an average coffee shop using one to two rolls per week.
Barema will be demonstrating the Driflor at the Safety and Health Expo 17-19th May at Stand D94. | 
