Risk Control Resources | Workplace Safety

Prevent Slips and Falls to Protect Your Guest Scores
Hospitality Risk Control Training

Jul 3, 2025

Despite a great location or the hotel brand, TripAdvisor reports that 81% of guests will consult online reviews before selecting a hotel for travel. The reason: “People Trust People.” Additionally, almost half of all guests will leave a bad review if they have a bad experience in a hotel. Therefore, a slip and fall in the lobby while checking in or an embarrassing slip at the buffet are incendiary events that can poison a guest’s stay, initiate a bad review, reduce property guest satisfaction scores, and ultimately reduce bookings and revenue.

The good news is that Expedia reports that guests will pay 35% more for a hotel with a 4.4 rating over one with a 3.9 rating.

Therefore, planning ahead for weather events and having the right equipment on hand can generate good reviews and repeat stays.

The Best Hotels Deploy These Best Practices to Ensure Continued Top Notch Guest Scores:

Place two sequential walk-off mats from the exterior door into the lobby during snowy or rainy days and extra scheduled public areas staff to monitor floors during check-in and checkout hours.
Use Wet Floor signs with built-in battery powered blowers to hasten floor drying or signs with air blowers placed on the edge of the walkway.
Use a “clean mop” for front of the house restaurant use, and a second mop for back of the house use.
Place mats in front of self-serve drink stations.
Schedule cleaning public area floors to low traffic time in the early afternoon.
Use soap dispensers/dilution units to prevent unnecessary soap build up on floors.
Immediately barricade spills or water on the floor, and radio for assistance to mop floors dry.
Help guests to move their luggage out of the walkway or load it on carts.
Report to Engineering tears or bubbles in carpets and loose edges on stair treads.
Ensure employees wear non-slip footwear, with oil-resistant soles in good condition.

Decision Point: What Would You Do if You Observed…

Observation	Action
Small pools of water in the lobby.	Immediately barricade spills or water on the floor with a wet floor sign, and radio for assistance to mop floors dry.
Spilled coffee on a conference area walkway.	Use paper towels or rags to clean up immediately, followed by quick flow mop. Barricade while floor is wet.
Small pools of water on a stairway.	Use paper towels or rags to clean up immediately.
Edge treatments on existing stairway treads peeling up.	Report to engineering and secure with duct tape as a short-term fix.
Liquid on the floor around drink and coffee stations.	Barricade with signs and mop, then place a mat in front of self-serve drink stations.
Boxes or luggage in the lobby walkway or near the front desk.	Help guests to move their luggage out of the walkway or load it on carts.
Water on the floor outside of restrooms or the entry door to the pool.	Immediately barricade spills or water on the floor with a wet floor sign, and radio for assistance to mop floors dry.
Beginning of snow accumulation on the front entry.	Notify engineering.
Accumulation of snow or ice on exterior walkways, ramps, or stairs.	Notify engineering.
Bubbles in carpet in the guest room hallway or around the elevator.	Report to engineering.
Boxes or food trays in the guestroom hallways.	Make it a priority to pick up and personally remove boxes, food trays and trash in the guest room hallways.
Hoses or extension cords across walkways without securement.	Secure electrical cords with duct tape and put up barricade around hoses across outdoor walkways.
Boxes, mops, vacuums or trash bags blocking walkways within housekeeping closets.	Make it a priority to pick up and personally remove boxes, trash bags, and other obstacles in housekeeping closets.