Luxury Surfaces
Can Make for a Slippery Business
By David B . Willis , Member • Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott , LLC – Boston
Most of us have experienced that “ wow ” factor when we enter a luxury hotel or resort lobby and see what seems likes miles of marble , tile or granite surfaces .
Organic-looking , gorgeous and durable , stone surfaces are de rigueur for most any luxury hotel or resort property . In fact , according to a spokesperson for one operator of luxury hotels and resorts in North America and Europe , “ We need to have the appropriate products , textures and aesthetics in place in order to compete within the luxury hospitality market .” In fact , the spokesperson adds , “ Our guests have certain expectations when dining , staying or enjoying one of our properties , we need to make sure we deliver by having the better quality , more durable and more appealing surfaces in our public spaces .”
But all that natural stone , while beautiful , can also be hazardous . Slip and fall incidents are the number one cause of accidents in hotels , restaurants and public buildings according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Injuries from a seemingly incidental fall here or trip there are estimated to cost some $ 70 billion annually according to the National Safety Council .
In fact , the Centers for Disease Control has determined over one million people each year are injured in slip and fall accidents and unbelievably more than 70 percent of these slipand-fall injuries occur on flat level surfaces . And it ’ s not just hotel or restaurant guests that are impacted : the National Safety Council estimated compensation and medical costs associated with just employee slip and falls is approximately $ 7 billion annually .
Even with rigorous attention to maintaining these surfaces to be as safe as possible , coupled with proper employee training and response , accidents can and will happen because , to put it plainly , all that stone can be slippery and even at times , treacherous . OSHA has reported slips , trips and falls are 15 % of all accidental deaths and are second only to motor vehicle accidents as the cause of death and account for over 17,000 deaths each year .
The most common causes of slip and falls are obvious , and it would seem because of this , easy fixes , but those don ’ t always happen . We will take a closer look at some of the most common causes for slip and fall accidents and steps that can be taken toward preventing them in the future .
Common causes of slip and fall accidents ( and how to help avoid them
56 ILHA