The Ceramic Tile Institute identifies tiles in three categories

.60 or above - Slip-Resistant

.50 to .59 - Conditionally Slip-Resistant

Less than .50 - Questionable

The SCOF is dramatically reduced when an untreated flat tile surface is subjected to water, or other wetting agents. The SCOF of a treated surface complies with the above industry standards.

• The #1 cause of accidents in Homes, & Public Buildings including “taverns”
  (70% occur on flat and level surfaces)

• The #2 leading cause of defined accident injuries throughout the United States. (auto accidents #1)

• The #2 cause for Workman’s Compensation and Liability claims (40% of all claims paid out)

STATISTICS SHOW THAT;

• 25,000 slip & fall injuries require hospital care every day (over 9 million per year)

• More then 300,000 are “disabling” injuries.

• 35% of all work related injuries are slip & fall accidents and account for 65% of lost time from work.

• Nation wide there are 95,000,000 days lost from work each year due to a slip & fall.

• The average medical & indemnity cost per slip/fall claim 2000-2001 was $18,838, 2002-2003 was $20,228 (National Safety Council)

• The average liability law suit cost; is $50,000. to Defend, and just over $100,000.in Judgments, (OSHA)

The Research Institute: (using Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• The most frequent disabling injury in the restaurant industry include same-level falls 25.3%.

Pizza Marketing Quarterly (article entitled Worker Injuries Injure Restaurant Profits)

• Slip and fall injuries are the single most restaurant disruption and can cause sever disabilities.

National Resource on Aging and Injury:

• Every hour an older adult dies as the result of a fall.

AARP:

• Falls account for two-thirds of all accidents among older adults.
  Statistics show that 66% of injury cases for people 65 years or older were a result of a fall, and over 75% of slip-fall deaths occur to people 65 or older.

Liberty Mutual Survey, Press Release:

• 95% of respondents believe workplace safety has positive impact on a company’s financial performance

• 24% report a substantial positive impact

• 86% of respondents feel workplace safety provides a return on investment

• 61% of executives say $3 or more saved for each $1 invested in workplace safety

• 13% report $10 is returned for each $1 invested

• 93% report a close relationship between the direct and indirect cost associated with a workplace accident

• 40% feel that between $3 and $5 dollars of indirect costs exist for each $1 of direct costs

• The median response was that $3 of indirect costs exist for each $1 of direct costs

• 82% of respondents feel their company currently places a priority on workplace safety.

Liberty Mutual also finds:

• Falls on some level the second most common workplace injury in 2002 accounting for 12.5% of all injuries costing $6.2 billion.

According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s Detailed Claim Information

• For 2002 and 2003 the average medical and indemnity direct cost for all workers’ compensation claims was $17,787

• Common slip-and-fall accidents carrying a direct cost of $20,228

• Add to that indirect cost, such as increased insurance premiums; damaged equipment and/or facilities; hiring, training or retaining; and loss of production and/or quality, which are often 3 to 7 times direct cost, and that $20,000 slip-and-fall accident could wind up costing business $80,000 - $120,000 or more if the employee takes the matter to court or workers’ compensation premiums go up

• If the injured person is a customer it is very possible for these numbers to be much higher.

  Lost time for investigation, lost time for co-workers training, need to higher temporary worker, training new worker, loss production and/or quality, employee moral, bad publicity, loss of customers, increased insurance premiums, damaged equipment and/or facilities, correcting physical hazard, regulatory fees.

Currently many insurance companies are encouraging small businesses to do everything they can to reduce the exposure to slip & fall accidents, and to make sure their insurance policy includes premises liability coverage for slip-and-fall lawsuits. Claims for slip & falls, have unlimited Liability Risks. Unlike a finger getting severed, or something similar, where the liability has a set dollar amount, a slip & fall suit could be for any amount.

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