Clean It Up
UK General Cleaning Forum => General Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: chloejayne on February 09, 2009, 08:27:56 pm
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Wax to blame for slippery floors
The floors have since been replaced by a separate flooring firm
A council spent thousands of pounds in a legal battle over slippery floors at its leisure centres - but cleaners were in fact using the wrong sort of wax.
New Forest District Council spent £10,000 renewing floors at sports halls in Ringwood, Totton and Dibden Purlieu in 2004, but soon had complaints.
Councillors said £300,000 was spent by the council taking the flooring firm to court, when wax was the real problem.
The council chief executive would not reveal the real cost due to an inquiry.
People began to complain about the slippery floors as soon as they were laid in 2004, and the council closed all three leisure centres.
More staff
It brought in a new company to replace the floors, but the council's lawyers wanted compensation.
Councillor David Harrison said the money spent on legal fees could have funded more council staff.
"Three hundred thousand pounds would employ up to 10 [council] officers for a year, or six community safety officers," he said.
New Forest District councillors ordered an inquiry, which is due to begin in March.
David Yates, chief executive of New Forest District Council, said the figure spent would not cause council tax in the district to rise.
He told the BBC: "It will have little impact on the overall budget and certainly no impact on the tax that we set next year."
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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It would be nice to know a bit of the technical side
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Does not surprise me at all!
When any new flooring is laid, the installers should give the client the manufacturers maintenance guidelines.
There are only a few reasons why a floor should be prone to causing slips:
1. Incorrectly specified - The floor specified is not actually suitable for the area or traffic.
2. Incorrect maintence - The floor in question is not being cleaned often enough with regard to area or traffic. The wrong cleaning process or chemical is being used.
3. The flooring is damaged or worn, or spills are not cleared correctly or promptly enough.
Seems to me in this case, the council have only themselves to blame, but no matter joe public will pay! ???
Regards,
Rob