Risk of slips reduced in school canteen

In a school canteen, signs were used routinely around the water fountain and the hot drinks machine to warn pupils and staff of the risk of slips. The signs were the same colour as the floor so not immediately visible to the eye and were always left out so frequently ignored. There were recurrent spills around both machines and the water supply at the rear of the hot drinks dispenser was leaking out. This meant liquid was getting onto the smooth floor making it slippery.

The kitchen staff did what they could to seal off the leak, but were frequently having to clean up spills. In fact, they had been struggling with the problem for such a long time they had become blasé about the dangers and spills management had just become part of every day life.

An inspector on a routine visit was able to suggest some cheap, easy solutions, as a result the water fountain was moved to a covered outdoor location, the plastic cups removed and pupils encouraged to refill their lidded water bottles which could be safely carried to classes without the risk of spills. It also lowered the instances of children larking around chucking water at each other.