Plastic Sheeting and Slip Hazards on Floors

Why it matters

Poly sheeting protects floors and finishes, and it turns them into skating rinks: plastic over smooth concrete has almost no grip, and add dust, dew, or a little mud and boots go out from under people carrying loads. Ram board, drop cloths, and taped seams have the same problem in smaller print. Today: where sheeting belongs, how to secure it, and where it must never be.

Hazards

• ⚠ Plastic on smooth floors sliding under boots
• ⚠ Wrinkles, bubbles, and loose edges catching toes
• ⚠ Wet or dusty sheeting with near-zero traction
• ⚠ Sheeting on stairs and ramps, the worst places for it
• ⚠ Hidden cords, hoses, and debris under the plastic
• ⚠ Carried loads blocking the view of slick protected paths

Controls and safe practices

• ✓ Use the right protection for traffic areas: rosin paper, ram board, or textured protection where boots travel, not slick poly.
• ✓ Tape all edges and seams flat; a loose edge is a toe hook.
• ✓ Never poly on stairs or ramps; use secured, textured protection or leave them bare and clean.
• ✓ Nothing gets buried: cords and hoses rerouted before the floor is covered, not under it.
• ✓ Sweep and dry protected paths; dust on plastic is ice.
• ✓ Mark slick protected areas and route heavy carrying around them.
• ✓ Replace torn and wrinkled protection instead of layering more tape on the mess.

Crew discussion questions

1. Where is plastic down on walking paths right now?
2. What is protecting the stairs, and is it secured and textured?
3. What got covered under the floor protection that we forgot about?
4. Which carrying routes need rerouting around protected floors?

Applicable OSHA standards

29 CFR 1926.25

More toolbox talks

• Ladder Safety
• Fall Protection Basics
• Heat Illness Prevention
• Lockout / Tagout: Controlling Energized Circuits
• Trench and Excavation Safety
• Silica Dust Control

Safety plans by trade

General ContractorConcrete / MasonryAll toolbox talks