Matting still wet when shopping centre opened to the public

The new owners of a shopping centre in the Midlands wanted to cut costs.

They decided that their overnight cleaning operation could be provided cheaper if carried out first thing in the morning, before the shops opened.

Following the change a number of slipping accidents occurred near to the entrance of the shopping centre.

It transpired that the entrance mats, which had been cleaned using a wet cleaning process, were still damp when customers first entered the building.

Customers, unaware that the mats were damp, stepped onto the smooth floor with wet shoes.

Research has shown that tiny amounts of liquid on some smooth floors can have a dramatic effect on the floor slipperiness.

The owners quickly re-instated the overnight cleaning regime so that floors and entrance mats were completely dry well before opening.