Spring maintenance made easy
Published: 07 March, 2017
Chris Budd, head of technical solutions at Watco, manufacturer of industrial strength flooring products, gives tips and advice on jobs to be done this Spring to maintain a safe working environment.
Repair dangerous floors
It may not be necessary to completely resurface a floor. Use an epoxy repair mortar for repairs to concrete floors with broken up and damaged areas. Small holes or cracks in internal flooring can be repaired with a concrete filler. External damage can be repaired with an asphalt or concrete repair material depending on the surface.
Minimise the risk of slippery floors
Whether a floor is slippery because of water, chemical spillages or oil leaks, the risk can be minimised with a hard-wearing epoxy resin coating with anti-slip properties.
If the slippery surface is external such as a car park or walkway, an anti-slip traffic paint will provide a tough anti-slip surface perfect for covering asphalt or concrete. As well as offering a safe solution to slippery surfaces, the range of colours will also brighten tired concrete and asphalt. On timber surfaces and decking, apply anti GRP decking strips.
Look at retreating floors in wet and oily areas, which are heavily trafficked, to prevent dangerous accidents. Apply a floor coating that will provide a glossy, hygienic and easy to clean surface, resistant to very heavy wear and a wide range of chemicals. Use a product which offers abrasion resistance and stain protection, such as chemi coat.
Make steps safer
Steps can be extremely dangerous especially when wet. Choose an anti-slip fibreglass GRP step cover that can help prevent accidents on slippery steps. They are quick and easy to install and provide excellent slip resistance. They can be attached to metal, wood or concrete stairs and are slip resistant even when wet. GRP Sheets bring safety underfoot for areas including walkways, ramps and mezzanine.
Step covers should have a high visibility nosing, which is standard to help meet the requirements of the DDA (Disabled Discrimination Act) and building regulations.
Identify hazardous areas
Floor marking tapes and paints are perfect for marking out hazardous areas, exit routes or sectioning off areas. Line marking tapes are easy to apply and self-adhesive, they have been specifically made to adapt to medium, heavy and very heavy traffic. Many are non-slip with aluminium oxide grit, which will improve the safety of your premises. If tapes are not suitable for your situation, line marking paint can be used.
Fill in those potholes
If you have potholes caused by the tough winter weather, you will want to fill them to avoid any accidents or injuries. For smaller asphalt cracks, a polymer modified flexible crack filler will fill in the cracks that can lead to water ingress, erosion and accelerated deterioration of the surface.
For further information please visit: www.watco.co.uk
COBA EUROPE reports it has published a new catalogue to promote its latest range of floor safety products and it includes a wide choice of anti-fatigue and slip-resistant matting options, as well as GRP sheets, stair treads and nosing, and PVC strip curtains.
A major challenge for brewers can be to make safe quality beer that maintains consumer confidence, while meeting retailer expectations and minimising both costs and wastage. This has reportedly been achieved in many microbreweries by using a simple rapid test, to determine the hygienic quality of their production equipment and working surface areas.
