Easy Ways to Prevent Slips & Falls at Your Laundromat

Published: June 11, 2019

Written by: Martin Ray Laundry Systems

According to the National Floor Safety Institute, falls account for more than 8 million emergency room visits each year. No business owner wants to see their customers get injured — or deal with any potential insurance claims or lawsuits. Laundromats, in particular, can be particularly dangerous since we’re dealing with a lot of potential leaks and spills, slippery floors, and customers carrying heavy laundry baskets. That’s why looking at ways you can prevent injuries from slips and falls is so important. Here are a few easy ways laundromat owners can help prevent injuries from slips and falls at your facility.

1. Put out wet floor signs. This is a pretty universal way to help make patrons aware of potentially slippery floors. Signs should be handy and easily accessible by both customers and employees.

2. Use absorbent mats. Anti-slip mats, carpeting, and flooring are a great option, especially in front of doors. This can help soak up any water or mud people may track in and reduce slipping.

3. Use brightly colored cords. Cords can definitely be a tripping hazard, especially if they’re not tucked away behind equipment. For any cords that are exposed, such as when you’re using a fan or vacuum cleaner, use bright colored cords or add some colored tape along the cord to make it more visible against neutral walls and flooring.

4. Have garbage and recycling bins handy. From broken hangers to hole-filled socks to wrappers and bottles from the vending machines, there’s a lot of garbage at laundromats. This trash can often end up on the floor and pose a slipping hazard for your employees or customers. Having plenty of garbage and recycling bins encourages people to throw things away and decreases the likelihood that they’ll leave them out for others to trip over.

5. Hire more staff. One of the best ways to prevent slips and falls is with constant vigilance. Obviously, you can’t be everywhere at once, so it may be in your best interest to hire additional staff if you can afford to do so. That way there’s always someone there looking out for potential trip and fall risks.

6. Frequent cleaning and maintenance checks. We stress cleaning and maintenance a lot because it’s important for so many reasons. Of course, you want to be on the lookout for leaks, spills, and other slipping hazards and take care of them as soon as possible to prevent falls. In general, keeping a tidy facility and machines means you’re more likely to spot potential issues, like leaks or broken seals, before they become a bigger problem.

If there is an incident at your laundromat facility, don’t panic.

• Call for medical help (if need be).
• Inspect the fall site for other immediate dangers.
• Create an incident report with details about the fall.
• Contact your legal team and refer any future questions or inquiries to him/her.

At Martin-Ray Laundry Systems, we’re all about helping you keep your employees and laundromat customers safe. Check out these additional laundromat safety tips and contact our team for other ongoing questions about your laundry business.