FloodSax in action during a major plumbing leak inside a hospital
FloodSax preventing a slip hazard in a supermarket with water leaking through the ceiling
FloodSax diverting floodwater from a burst water main away from a supermarket and down a drain
FloodSax alternative sandbags holding back torrential floodwater from a company’s warehouse
How just one FloodSax can save businesses, hospital trusts and local councils a fortune in compensation claims
FloodSax can save businesses, health trusts and local councils a fortune on claims by people slipping on wet floors.
People who slip on spilled water, drinks or even sewage often put in compensation claims via ‘no win no fee’ legal firms but this can so easily be avoided by a single FloodSax costing just a few pounds.
Once the FloodSax is popped on the spilled liquid a gelling polymer inside absorbs the liquid and then retains it. The FloodSax is white so is highly visible if used to soak up a spill and it will quickly absorb all the liquid. This is far more effective than trying to use a mop which often just moves the spillage around, leaving the floor still wet and slippery.
As a water spill can’t be seen it’s important to quickly cover it with something that is obvious – and you can’t miss a large white FloodSax.
FloodSax are now used by major UK supermarkets, hospital trusts, local councils and facilities management companies to instantly soak up water to make the area safer for people and avoid unnecessary and costly compensation claims.
Recent Freedom of Information requests to NHS Trusts revealed that in the past 12 months there have been 456 sewage leaks in England’s hospitals although the real tally may be far higher as only 55 NHS Trusts provided responses and there are more than 200 Trusts nationwide.
Leeds Teaching Hospital reported 105 sewage leaks while North Tees And Hartlepool had 80.
Lucy Bailey from Yorkshire-based Environmental Defence Systems Ltd which make FloodSax said: “FloodSax can even be used in these kind of sewage scenarios depending on how bad the leak is.
“Many businesses, shops, hospitals, civic buildings and even colleges and universities have FloodSax as part of their armoury to deal with any facilities management emergency such as flooding.
“We’ve even seen them under water dispensers where people can top up their own water bottles as the water often spills over onto the floor. A FloodSax beneath the dispenser will simply soak up this spilled water and retain it.
“Water and other liquid spills are responsible for thousands of accidents each UK with people slipping and falling.”
The Health and Safety Executive has revealed that slip and trip injuries account for 35% of major injuries in the food and drink industries. These kinds of injuries include broken limbs and need hospital treatment.
The HSE says: “This represents around 1,300 injuries per year, of which approximately 80% are slips and 20% trips.
“It’s a common misconception that slip injuries just happen and little can be done about it. Years of experience now shows that slip prevention can be managed effectively and can cut injuries by 50% or more, significantly reducing costs.
“Most slips (90%) occur when the floor is wet with water or contaminated with food product.”
The HSE adds: “Ensure your cleaning regime is effective and reduces slip risk. Floor treatments can often make floors more slippery.”
Some legal companies promising no win no fee specialise in making claims for these kinds of incidents.
One says on its website: “There are a variety of different things which can lead you to have a slip, trip or fall accident when you are out shopping, but a leading cause is still slipping over on a spillage of some kind. Put simply, wet floors can be very hazardous and can cause many more injuries than people commonly think.
“Wet floors are especially hazardous if there is not appropriate signage to demarcate them. All businesses such as shops, shopping centres and supermarkets are responsible for spaces used by the public so have a duty of care to ensure their space is safe for people to use. If you have slipped over in a supermarket or other such shop and your fall was caused by something which the supermarket could have taken reasonable steps to prevent (such as cleaning it up or placing a wet floor sign to highlight it), you may be able to claim compensation for any injuries you sustained.”
The company says claims can go up to almost £100,000 for a severe knee injury where the joint is damaged and could lead to osteoarthritis in the future.
A soft tissue injury to the neck which could take up to two years to totally heal could get compensation between £4,350 and £7,890.
By comparison, a box of 20 FloodSax retails for around £140.
Lucy said: “FloodSax are such a practical way to deal with spills quickly and efficiently. Simply get them out of their vacuum packaging and lay them flat on the spill and the gelling polymer inside the FloodSax will do the rest.”
FloodSax are also multi-purpose as they are alternative sandbags too. Simply fully immerse them in water and they absorb 20 litres and retain it, causing the gelling polymer inside the FloodSax to expand to its full limit. This transforms the FloodSax into an instant sandbag but without any sand.
They have been used many times to protect supermarkets, homes and businesses from floodwater after torrential rain, a fractured water mains or flooding from nearby rivers and streams.
They can either be built into instant flood protection barriers or used to divert water away from a building and down nearby drains.
More and more facilities management companies now routinely regard FloodSax as a must-have product to deal with any flooding emergency.
For more information go to www.floodsax.co.uk