When good floors go bad

WAREHOUSES ARE busy environments and daily traffic from forklifts and pallet trucks, heavy loads being moved around, weighty racking systems and general wear and tear can all adversely affect the state of the concrete flooring. As well as looking unsightly, badly maintained and damaged flooring can contribute to poor productivity, increase housekeeping costs, lead to unnecessary vehicle repairs and present a safety risk to people working in or visiting the warehouse. Slips and trips are one of the most common accidents in warehouses. 

Concrete flooring hazards can sometimes be tricky to spot. So what should warehouse managers and employees look out for to prevent accidents and avoid further degradation of the concrete flooring?

Cracks are common on warehouse floors and are usually caused by settlement, structural movement, or impact damage. While a crack is not necessarily a sign of a structural issue, it can widen and develop into a hole or its edges could start to spall at which point it can damage vehicles passing over it. 

Holes can form as a result of surface impact. In heavy traffic areas, the exposed aggregate can pop out of the surface, causing a deeper hole to form. 

Joints are part of the flooring’s structure. They can be bay joints which are created when the concrete is poured over several days, or expansion joints which allow the concrete to expand and contract without cracking, but if the joint edges become exposed, they can start to break away under traffic and eventually form a hole. 

Simple steps

Always repair the damaged area as soon as you can. If left untreated, the crack, hole or joint could start to chip, break and become larger, causing a serious and costly problem, particularly as forklifts or trolleys can suffer damage when they pass over them. Major repair or replacement of the concrete floor will also have a serious impact on your business as it could result in warehouse downtime.

You can reduce the chances of damage occurring by implementing comprehensive floor and vehicle maintenance regimes. These should include dust mopping and wet mopping the warehouse floor at least once per week to stop the build-up of dust, debris, chemicals and other contaminants, as well as ensuring your materials handling equipment is in good working order and that worn tires are replaced to prevent them marking or scratching the concrete. You could also consider changing the layout of the building at intervals throughout the year, this could include moving some of the machinery so that different areas of the concrete are exposed at different times, which helps to protect the flooring further.

Prevention is best

Companies make sure their offices are presentable and provide a pleasant working environment for employees but often fail to appreciate the importance of doing the same for their warehouses. They may invest in systems or equipment to improve warehouse efficiency, but if the concrete flooring is in poor condition, this money will be wasted. 

At the end of the day, prevention is the best approach. Damaged warehouse flooring can affect productivity, health & safety, employee concentration and lead to increased housekeeping costs and higher vehicle or flooring repair bills, so tackle holes, cracks or joint issues as soon as you spot them and don’t let them turn into a major problem.

Scott Saunders, senior technical sales advisor, Watco

For more information, visit www.watco.co.uk