An overall workplace safety plan is a key part of running a successful business in Delaware and keeping your employees and customers safe. However, it’s all too common to overlook the flooring as part of those safety plans. Slip, trip and fall accidents are one of the biggest safety issues at the workplace, so smart Delaware business owners are enlisting the help of certified walkway auditors.

A Delaware walkway auditor is an independent professional who is trained to inspect the flooring and walkways at businesses, looking for high risk areas that may trigger a slip and fall accident. It doesn’t matter what kind of flooring there is—tile, stone, laminate, resilient or other—a walkway auditor can quickly determine whether the flooring surface is in good shape or whether it needs attention.

Here are 3 reasons why businesses need Delaware walkway auditors:

1. Not All Flooring is the Same

While those who are not trained in installation, maintenance and cleaning of different flooring surfaces may think that all is well with their business location, a certified walkway auditor may find differently. From installation problems to wear and tear, the walkway auditor will be able to use experience and specialized equipment to determine what areas are high-risk and which areas are not.

Certain flooring is better suited to the tasks being performed, and certain flooring is better on stairs and inclines. A Delaware walkway auditor will be able to make recommendations about which surfaces meet or exceed the requirements for the area, and also which ones may need more attention.

2. Foot Traffic Safety

Different flooring surfaces have different friction that contributes to whether or not foot traffic will have an easy time walking on the surface or whether something makes the surface more slippery or sticky. Improper cleaning products can cause buildup on surfaces, or strip away any protective finish the flooring might have. Wear and tear can also affect the friction of the floor. A certified walkway auditor will spot those problems and include them in the audit.

3. Written Records of Audit

A Delaware walkway auditor will put all their findings into a comprehensive report and share that with you. In that report, there will be photos, notes, interviews with employees and more. The report is to help you identify at-risk areas at the workplace and receive a comprehensive analysis of the problems. Also included are recommendations and solution ideas for those areas. Follow-up audits can confirm that the hazards have been attended to and your flooring could receive a clean bill of health. In the event you are ever asked to go to court over a liability lawsuit for a slip and fall accident, you’ll have plenty of documentation to show that you haven’t been negligent when it comes to floor safety.

Make walkway audits a regular part of your company’s overall maintenance and safety plan program and hire a Delaware walkway auditor soon. Trust someone with the experience and background to professionally evaluate every type of flooring at your place of business.