JOIN USThere are lurking dangers at malls, hospitals and many stores in the City. While these places are paying keen attention to aesthetics, many a time they are not
user-friendly.
As polished as the floors may seem, they are equally dangerous because they are so slippery. This is especially the case during the monsoon.
These slippery floors are particularly a nightmare for young children who dash through malls as well as senior citizens.
While many malls and hospitals do not consider this, children and senior citizens have to exercise caution when they go to these places.
Metrolife interacts with the young and old, who share their experiences and concerns about slippery floors at hospitals and malls.
Prabavati, a senior citizen, says that she is always worried to go out on her own, particularly to malls and sometimes even hospitals.
“This is especially the case after an incident which took place recently, when I slipped in a mall which had highly polished floors. Worse still was the fact that it was raining outside. Now, I avoid goingout alone and ensure that I am with somebody. Even when
I go to some hospitals, I find this same problem,” she says.
Veda Ramakanth, also a senior citizen, says that wearing sturdy footwear can help.
“In hospitals, in particular, patients have a tendency to fall. It’s important that the floor there is made rough.
Although the flooring looks shiny and nice, it can get very slippery, particularly during the monsoon,” she adds.
Those with young children face the same problem. Uma Singh, who has a young daughter, says that she is very careful when she takes her daughter to a mall. “I don’t let her go anywhere on her own because it is very dangerous. The floors are very slippery and kids have a tendency to run inside the mall. Whenever I am in a mall, I make sure to pay complete attention to her,” she explains.
MN Sreehari, a civic expert, says that generally, an anti-slippery coating is applied over vitrified tiles at public places.
“However, in certain places, this is sometimes forgotten and this leads to problems. On the other hand, there cannot be a completely rough surface because that will give a shabby look. Although specifically-designed tiles can help, these are not used much,” he explains.
Nandish MR, marketing head at Garuda Mall, admits that this is a common problem when it rains. “We make it a point to ensure that there is cleaning done, especially during the rains. We also put up a board to warn visitors that cleaning is in progress. Besides, we have also used anti-slip coating here,” he says.