The maintenance and cleaning of large public buildings is typically an ongoing task and can be done at any time of the day. When cleaning the floor of a public building during the hours of opening, it is important to provide warning signs for members of the public and wet floor signs are a common example of this.
The type of flooring used in public buildings can get slippery when it is washed with water and becomes wet. It is therefore important to inform the public that a floor is wet to help avoid potential accidents as a result of someone slipping. Cleaning and maintenance staff are usually provided with wet floor signs and these will be prominently displayed in locations that have been recently cleaned or in areas where a floor may be wet for other reasons. They are a common sight in restrooms where the floor can easily become wet, although can be used in any part of a building where floor cleaning operations are in progress.
Wet floor signs are typically brightly colored to make them easily seen. The most common are bright yellow in color and can include a combination of text and graphics to show that a floor is wet. The text will generally include the phrases “Caution” and “Wet Floor” and graphics can show a symbol for water or a depiction of someone falling. In public buildings, if a member of the public slips and injures themselves because of a wet floor, the building owner can be held liable for this if negligence is shown. Signs for wet floors are therefore a common sense option both to warn of the dangers of a wet floor and to show that action was taken to warn members of the public that a floor was wet.
Wet floor signs can be found for sale in a number of in-store and online locations. Staples is an in-store location that has a Rubbermaid sign for wet floors available for $18. This is a two sided sign in yellow, which can be folded flat when stored and has a built in carrying handle. Other in-store locations where signs for wet floors can be found for sale include Sam’s Club and Office Depot.
There are also a number of online retailers that have wet floor signs available for sale. Janilink is one of these and they have a range of options available including two sided, cone and triangular signs in yellow, green and orange colors. The cost for these typically varies from around $12 to $32. A mid priced example is the multi-use two sided sign which has a few different messages. These include wet floor, out of order, caution and area closed. Each phrase is printed on a separate sheet and it is simply a case of flipping the sign to the required message. The sign is produced in bright yellow with red and black text and is available for around $25.
A wet floor can be potentially dangerous and a painful injury can be caused by someone slipping and falling on this. Wet floor signs are therefore an important part of the equipment needed by maintenance and cleaning crews in a public building. It helps to warn the public to keep clear of an area which can be slippery to help avoid accidents from occurring.