The top five concerns for historic building custodians include the cost of maintenance and repairs, health and safety as well as reputational damage with slips and trips accounting for more than a third of liability claims received by the insurance group Ecclesiastical [Alliance sponsor].
Historic buildings may present unique challenges in comparison to modern buildings when preventing slips and trips due to design constraints and the aesthetic of the building. For example, solutions like modern handrails, concrete repairs and infills to worn stone steps are often impractical and out of character with the rest of the building.
In partnership with the world-leading research arm of the HSE, the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), Ecclesiastical has produced a series of guidance modules to help heritage organisations manage risks and prevent slips and trips.
This new guidance offers simple suggestions including using a contrasting or lighter/darker shade of varnish on wooden staircases to highlight the edge of steps where there is a trip hazard; and attaching LED lighting strips to the underside of a handrail on outside steps where light levels are a concern.
For more information please click here.