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1. Pay attention to areas where water and/or spills occur. A walk-off mat should be placed inside the entrance of doors during a rain storm. When floor tile gets wet, the coefficient of friction (COF) may decrease, causing a fall. Mats should be placed out before it starts raining. Pay attention to areas where food is served or carried. Food or drink spills can create an icelike condition on the floor and should be picked up as soon as they occur.
2. If the floor tile is maintained by stripping and waxing, this procedure should be done at night when there is no one around to fall. Daily wet mopping should also be performed in the evening during off-hours.
3. Always place wet floor signs in all areas in which you may be working. This applies for all times of the day or night. It is also a good idea to train your floor cleaning personnel to warn people who may walk across the floor that it might be slippery.
4. Keep accurate records. It is surprising how many cleaning companies fail to keep any record of maintenance on a tile surface. Accurate record keeping says that you are responsible and you generally care about safety. Include in your records the name brands of all products used on the floor, procedures performed on the floor and how often (be specific) and who performed these procedures.
It is a good idea to keep a daily log of the maintenance procedures. Designate one individual to keep track of the log and have him or her perform routine inspections of the floor and record what was found during the inspections. If a legal suit is filed, this information will be quite helpful in proving you are competent and, hopefully, not at fault.
5. Get slip/fall insurance. Every building owner should carry slip/fall insurance. Some of the products used on the floor will also carry slip/fall insurance. This insurance is designed to protect the coating manufacturer and you should not rely entirely on their insurance. Get your own policy.

What To Do When Someone Falls

Another important bit of information you can make your flooring customers aware of is what to do when someone does slip and fall. Share the following information:
1. Treat the victim with kindness and courtesy. Do not administer medical treatment unless you happen to be qualified. If necessary call an ambulance. Also offer to call their family. Show care and concern.
2. Look at the victim's clothing and especially his/her shoes. Take notice of how worn they are and the overall condition. Once the victim leaves, record this information in your log or on a separate report. This is important — remember it takes two surfaces to slip. If the victim is wearing worn shoes, part of the blame may be placed on his/her neglect.