Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces

Murray State University

The National Floor Safety Institute is steward to a comprehensive bibliography of best practice literature.  Floor safety is a risk that receives heightened consideration in education facilities in the snowy parts of the world this time of year.  Its complete suite is listed in the link below:

Our Standards

One title in particular has been of interest to us for several years now: FSI B101.6 Standard Guide for Commercial Entrance Matting in Reducing Slips, Trips and Falls.  It provides the criteria for the selection, installation, inspection, care and maintenance of entrance mats and runners in commercial facilities in reducing slips, trips and falls.  

Application: The requirements of this standard pertain to the safe usage and applications, design, construction, and quality criteria of floor mats and runners.

Purpose: This standard is directed to eliminating slip, trip and fall hazards including but not limited to soil, moisture, contaminant removal, edge treatments and the improper use of floor mats and runners.

Education communities have a larger-than-average openings to the exterior — and they are large targets for lawsuits — so we keep an eye on this title.

At the moment, an examination of the technical committee roster for this title indicates that there are no voting members from the education industry; the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States.   While Murray State University has subject matter experts recognized by NFSI (See YouTube link below) there is no user/owner/final fiduciary on the committee.  Keep in mind that that in many education organizations — particularly large research universities — the compliance and insurance (risk management) interest is the only stakeholder that has the funding to participate.  Compliance and risk management interests may be at odds with the interest of the user/owner/final fiduciary in individual units (explained in more detail in our ABOUT)

NSFI alerts the public to live consultation opportunities on the link to its standards landing page above.  Today we find only closed consultations on its News & Events page.  You are encouraged to collaborate directly with NFSI.  Contact Laura Cooper for more information at laurac@nfsi.org.

We keep the NFSI standards suite on the standing agenda of our Interiors colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [14-63]

Category: Risk Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Richard Robben

Workspace / NFSI