Altro Safety Flooring KR12-30 Skyline

OH&S is great business
Altro KR12-30 Skyline

Safety flooring is usually only considered as merelycomplying with Australian Standards, or as a way ofcovering obligations in case a workplace mishap resultsin litigation. However, a recent assessment at theQueen Elizabeth II Jubilee (QE2) Hospital in Brisbanerevealed something else - a broad range of otherbenefits that can give a positive result to the business'sbottom line.

In 2007, a series of slip incidents in the kitchen at QE2caused the filing of numerous Work Cover claims byhospital staff. The floor tiles were originally non-slip but,as will happen with ceramics, they had worn smooth.This meant they were treacherous when wet, weredifficult to clean and the grout was an absorbent refugefor germs and bacteria - an abhorrent thought for anyhealthcare environment.

In addition, trolley transport across the tile corrugationscaused muscle fatigue, was loud and triggered theitems to fall off, further compounding the cleaning andmaintenance problems.

Consequently, the decision was made to replace thetiled floor. The hospital's flooring contractor was awarethat Altro's KR12-30 Safety Vinyl was commonly usedin hospital kitchens throughout the world due to its R12slip rating and hygienic properties. Supported by Altro'sspecification, 700 M2 of KR12-30 Skyline colour wasduly installed.

Fast forward 2 years - "The outcomes are remarkable!"stated Kevin Davidson, OH&S Unit Manager QE2.'Staff immediately reported that they now moved withconfidence on the new floor. They also acknowledgedthat cleaning times were greatly reduced and so werethe levels of stress and fatigue attributed to thepreviously tiled floor."

As the business world knows, measuring both the directand indirect costs associated with Work Coverpremiums, staffing disruptions and workplace rehabilitation becomes accumulative against youroperating budget but for the kitchen area of the QE2Hospital there has been a complete recovery.

"The single greatest measurement of this floor'sperformance over the last two years is that we havenot had a single Work Cover claim, incident report oreven a 'near miss' reported in the Kitchen area sincethe installation. This has effectively eliminated thekitchen as source of slips or falls."

Kevin Davidson, OH&S Unit Manager QE2 Hospital,Queensland, Australia.