The Labour and Social Security Inspectorate (ITSS) holds companies responsible for workplace accidents that occur due to lack of maintenance of raised floors.
Most of the companies have in their facilities the so called “technical floors”. The raised floor is a kind of flooring that can be placed in all kinds of work environments and facilities. Such as offices, offices, entrances, corridors and receptions. The most common materials are ceramics, wood, marble, but there are also pvc floors and raised floors. The raised access floor, also called “floating” or “false floor”, is a system created to meet the technological needs of technical rooms. It allows easy access and maintenance of the infrastructural wiring system.
Workplace accidents and raised access floors
Raised or not, raised floors require regular maintenance to prevent their deterioration from causing accidents at work. This is especially true for the people who work on them on a daily basis.
We have had knowledge of the intervention of the ITSS for the investigation of a work accident caused by a fall of a worker. As a result of partial breakage of the raised access floor on which he was walking.
The work accident, at the time, was classified by the company as minor. In the mandatory accident report processed through the delt@ system. And whose classification was not modified by the mutual insurance company for occupational accidents. It caused a broken rib to the injured worker.
The intervention by the ITSS was carried out several months after the accident occurred. Among other things, the following documents were requested from the aforementioned company:
- Accident report processed at the time through the delt@ system.
- Accident investigation document completed at the time by the company. Corrective measures carried out after the accident.
- Risk assessment
- Planning of the preventive activity
Resolution of the Labour Inspection
After the investigation of the work accident carried out by the ITSS, it concluded that:
“the primary cause of the work accident was the lack of maintenance of the adjustable feet of the raised access floor and their lack of attachment to the original floor, which, when the injured person stepped on a deteriorated tile, caused the see-saw effect and the fall of the worker”.
The ITSS considered that the lack of maintenance of the raised access floor that caused the worker to fall posed a risk to the health and safety of the company’s workers. It pointed out that the design and construction conditions of workplaces must offer safety against the risk of slips and falls.
All of the above concluded in the imposition on the company of a sanction for a serious administrative infringement in the area of occupational risk prevention. We remind you that currently this type of infringements are sanctioned with an amount of 2.046,00€, in its minimum degree.
Conclusion
The conclusion we draw after this action of the ITSS is that companies are responsible for the maintenance of raised floors. And that the preventive actions to be carried out in this matter must be included in the planning of preventive activity.
Arrabe Integra
Labour Consulting
