The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) are partnering to reduce slips and falls by promoting the installation of NFSI-certified entrance matting, and carpeting wherever possible.
“It has been well-established by both OSHA and insurance companies that well-maintained carpet provides good protection against slips and falls,” said Werner Braun, president of CRI. “By also recommending floor matting certified by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) as High-Traction, CRI believes responsive consumers will benefit greatly through cleaner carpet and safer floors.”
“Carpet is ideal for cushioning footsteps, reducing slips and falls and minimizing injury when falls do occur,” said Russ Kendzior, founder of NFSI. “In addition, the NFSI and CRI are planning to conduct a joint study on the effectiveness of entrance floor matting in removing moisture from pedestrian footwear.”
Carpet’s inherently greater safety is borne out by a study of 225 “slip and fall incidents” from hospital records of older patients, according to CRI. Of the group falling on carpet, only 17 percent sustained injury. In the group falling on hard surface flooring, nearly 50 percent sustained injury.
CRI and NFSI will collaborate on articles and press releases in 2012, highlighting the importance of better flooring choices and maintenance.
About Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI)
Based in Dalton, Georgia, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is a nonprofit trade association representing the manufacturers of more than 95 percent of all carpet made in the United States, as well as their suppliers and service providers. CRI coordinates with other segments of the industry, such as distributors, retailers and installers, to help increase consumers’ satisfaction with carpet and to show them how carpet creates a better environment.
Policy is determined by a board of directors composed of chief executive officers from member companies and is implemented by a full-time professional staff. Additional member company personnel provide time and expertise to more than 40 committees and subcommittees. The wide range of assembled information provides a focal point for issue discussion and a voice for the industry. The overall fields of interest are technical services, member services, governmental and consumer affairs, and public relations. CRI membership and staff are intensely involved in facilitating cooperative solutions to all industry challenges. For more information, visit www.carpet-rug.org.
The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI)
The National Floor Safety Institute was founded in 1997 as a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization whose mission is to aid in the prevention of slips, trips-and-falls through education, research, and standards development.
The NFSI is led by a fifteen-member Board of Directors representing product manufacturers, insurance underwriters, trade associations, and independent consultants. For more information, visit www.nfsi.org.
