“Slippery when wet” and other silly signs

There is a sign at the gym I go to that it typical of many safety signs; it reads:

“Caution: Floor may be slippery when wet”

There are two main flaws with this particular sign:

1) The language is interesting/wrong. The floor “may be” slippery, but were not sure and if it is, then it’s only when it’s wet. Unfortunately the sign is located outside the showers where the floor will almost always be wet. The sign may as well read:

“Be careful - the floor is slippery!”

2) It does nothing to actually fix the problem! In fact the owners may have opened themselves up to common law claims from patrons who injure themselves. And no, it is not sufficient to just put up a sign.

Think of this situation: Say there was a bridge over a deep ravine with a walkway on one either side; however no guard rails were installed exposing pedestrians to a fatal fall. The owners recognised the risk and put up a sign that read:

“Caution: sharp drop on sides!”

Most people would say this is not sufficient given the magnitude of the potential consequences – in fact common law in Australia is largely based on the statement: “What would a reasonable man have done in this situation?” It is not reasonable to put up a sign and leave people exposed to the risk when a solution is readily available.

The same principle applies at the gym although the consequences may not be as great. The most likely consequences of slipping on a wet, tiled floor may be bruising, broken coccyx (tail bone), broken clavicle (collar bone), broken arms, sprains, twists, torn ligaments, concussion or head other injuries. The cost of an individual injury may not be that great, but if combined with the number of injuries the costs to the business may be high indeed.

The good news is that the solution is simple – buy some non slip matts, or apply a high friction pool paint, or replace the tiles with a non-slip surface. These solutions do not need to cost much to install, actually fix the problem (not just make people aware of it) and lower the probability of injury.

The writing is on the wall

What signs do you have in your workplace? What hazards and risks have you identified and acknowledged by putting up a sign? Have you done all you can do actually address the issue? Putting up a sign does not transfer your liability. You can always leave the sign there, but make sure you have taken all reasonable step to minimize the risk first.