Can't stop thinking about this (falling at Seaworld)

[cstraub]

Woke up tonight and my mind wandered onto something I had forgotten for awhile.

When we visited Sea World (Orlando) on a rainy day this last November (2005) we saw a lady fall. She had slipped on the entrance to the bathroom floor near some shops and restraunts in the back of the park near the bridge you walk over to get to the Shamu show. It haunts me to this day. It was a horrible fall and the woman had an adult down syndrome daughter with her. The daughter started crying when the woman fell. It was just a terrible scene.

Prior to the woman falling I had taken my DD5 to the same bathroom and both of us almost slipped. My DD5 did but I was holding her hand and saved her from a potential fall. When I realized how slippery the surface was I went immediatley to one of the shops and told a woman working there. She was nice and attentive but blew me off. I really felt like someone was going to fall so I had the woman that was working in the shop come with me to see how people were slipping. While we were on our way that is when the woman slipped with the down sydrome daughter. I was just so upset and the woman working there went to go get help.

Security and first aid arrived. The whole time we waited for them I told people to watch the slippery floor. There were helathy grown men slipping and almost falling- every single one!!! I am not exagerating and it was a pretty busy day.

I made a comment to security that it was a very bad choice of flooring and he said if I had a complaint I should take it up with guest relations. He was very rude and never thanked me for bringing this to my attention. I got the impression that they thought I was trying to cause problems but in reality I was trying to save people from falling.

I just wonder if that floor is still there and if people fall all the time. It just kills me to think how this could really hurt someone and I am ashamed that I have not called guest relations as of yet. I vow to do it first thing tom moring. I just think of how a fall can change your life. My dad and my DD5 both suffered falls in 2005. My dad shattered his arm and was put in to a nursing home to recover for about a month (required surgery and had mobility issues already). My DD fell off of a slide and had a skull fracture and contusion. These experiences have been life changing for us.

I just hope the flooring has been changed and that no one else has been hurt.

I will update after I make the call to Sea World that is long overdue!

 

[mjgruber]

Perhaps this was a new attraction ..that they were testing...

But seriously...let me get this correct...You were there in November 2005....and now 4 months later.....you decide to address this EMERGENCY situation? Am i missing something?

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Perhaps this was a new attraction ..that they were testing...

But seriously...let me get this correct...You were there in November 2005....and now 4 months later.....you decide to address this EMERGENCY situation? Am i missing something?

Did you not read her post? She had forgotten about it and recently recalled the event. Isnt it better now than not at all?

cstraub,
Let us know how the call goes!

 

[cstraub]

I decided to email them. I will let you know what kind of response I get.

Just posted in hopes that other people can avoid being hurt.

 

[TN Traveler]

cstraub---I think it's very sweet that you would even take the time to get someone from the gift shop to come see how slippery the floor was. So many people are locked up in their own little world they don't even bother.
Thank you for doing that. If you get a response, pls post.
Karen

 

[cstraub]

cstraub---I think it's very sweet that you would even take the time to get someone from the gift shop to come see how slippery the floor was. So many people are locked up in their own little world they don't even bother.
Thank you for doing that. If you get a response, pls post.
Karen

You know, I can't imagine not reacting the way I did. So many people just don't want to get involved.

Unfortunatly in this case, I don't think I took it far enough. I feel so bad that I did not pusue this sooner. I am just hoping from my initial reaction in getting the store clerk that they did something about it. Just one of those things on a huge list of to do stuff. I feel a little better about it posting it here. Someone may read this and not fall because of it.

I will post the response I get. Thanks!

 

[RabFlmom]

I don't know...... you said it was a rainy day so floors were wet because people were walking in with wet shoes, right? Here in Florida that happens a lot.
Ya have to wonder about what kind of shoes people were wearing on a wet day. My husband doesn't always listen and slips and slides wearing flip flop type shoes when it is wet instead of wearing shoes that help prevent the slipping. Rainy days happen and floors do get wet, sidewalks get slippery( thinking of the kids at Busch Gardens who were using the trays from a restaurant as sleds on the main sidewalk).
Usually Sea World has someone cleaning bathrooms throughout the day, so maybe just mopping up the wet every once in a while and putting up the wet floor cones should have been done or always done on rainy days so people think about the slipperiness of water on pavements and tile. Other than that I can't see what they could do.

 

[cstraub]

I don't know...... you said it was a rainy day so floors were wet because people were walking in with wet shoes, right? Here in Florida that happens a lot.
Ya have to wonder about what kind of shoes people were wearing on a wet day. My husband doesn't always listen and slips and slides wearing flip flop type shoes when it is wet instead of wearing shoes that help prevent the slipping. Rainy days happen and floors do get wet, sidewalks get slippery( thinking of the kids at Busch Gardens who were using the trays from a restaurant as sleds on the main sidewalk).
Usually Sea World has someone cleaning bathrooms throughout the day, so maybe just mopping up the wet every once in a while and putting up the wet floor cones should have been done or always done on rainy days so people think about the slipperiness of water on pavements and tile. Other than that I can't see what they could do.

There are many floor types that are made to be non slippery. They could even replace the slippery floor with a textured concrete or rough tile. The floor they had before you entered the bathroom was like ice. I had expensive Nike's on with heavy traction for running and my DD had on non skid Stride Rite sadals. There are floors available that do not get slippery. Think of those that you find around a pool where it is always wet and people have cheap flip flops on. There are lots of solutions and Sea World needs to come up with one- period!

I'm not exagerating when I say, eveyone was slipping even after I made them aware that the floor was slippery.

Try this link:
slip protection specialist

 

[SCOTTandJEAN]

Thank you cstraub. I work at a hosptial on Rehab TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and I cringed when I read your story. I must say I'm very proud of what you did.
Getting the sales girl, and also trying to talk to security. YOU DID THE RIGHT THING. Do not feel bad at all. You did as much as you could. This is all I want to say. Thank you, thank you cstraub, I only wish more people like you were in the world.

 

[cstraub]

Thank you for contacting SeaWorld Orlando regarding your November 27, 2005 visit to the park. I want to thank you not only for your time but also for your concern.



I was sorry to hear that our crew members failed to exceed your expectations when you approached them to advise us of a slippery floor at one of our restrooms. I do believe the situation could have been handled better with a more positive outcome. I would like to assure you that your comments and concerns regarding the floors have been sent to the Park Services and Safety Departments for further review and to ensure that the proper attention has been given to this situation. The safety of all our guests is paramount and I appreciate you taking the time to contact us.



Again, thank you for your comments and concerns. We look forward to seeing you again.



Sincerely,



Van Rice

Vice President Operations

and Assistant General Manager

SeaWorld Orlando

 

[gw_lit]

From the original post:

I just hope the flooring has been changed and that no one else has been hurt.

It seems that SeaWorld addressed your concerns, but didn't say that the flooring has been changed. In my view its really up to you. I would highly doubt that SeaWorld would put in a letter or email that they had an unsafe situation and replaced the flooring for liability reasons. If the response still isn't what you want, I would recommend replying and ask the specific question of "has the flooring been replaced or modified to make it less slippery?" It's really your call.

 

[Dislifer]

I wouldn't be happy with that response. I get the impression that your letter was just "tossed".
I am also appalled at the fact that situations like this are not addressed. I agree that there are steps that Seaworld and other places can do to make slippery floors safer!!!
Textured concrete for one!!! I truly hope something is done about this before others get hurt!

 

[cstraub]

I wouldn't be happy with that response. I get the impression that your letter was just "tossed".
I am also appalled at the fact that situations like this are not addressed. I agree that there are steps that Seaworld and other places can do to make slippery floors safer!!!
Textured concrete for one!!! I truly hope something is done about this before others get hurt!

I will be in WDW this April and really may go over to Seaworld to check it out. There really is no excuse for slippery floors. Falls are just so dangerous and in this case just so easliy preventable. Thanks.

 

[rejobako]

Not to be too skeptical, but if people were habitually slipping on the same surface at Sea World, it would have been replaced by now. Slip and fall lawsuits are the bread and butter of personal injury attorneys, and the company that owns Sea World resembles a nice deep pocket full of money that they can draw from, especially if they can establish that a known dangerous condition exists and has not been corrected. As gw_lit suggests, the letter from Sea World is carefully phrased in a way where they acknowledge attention to the complaint without admitting that there is an actual problem. You could try to solicit a more direct answer as to the replacement of the flooring, but I would be shocked if you got one as someone who witnessed an incident, but was not personally involved.

 

[mjgruber]

Do you really think the flooring in this area is unique....One rainy day....One slip...lets move on.

 

[DTop]

I was there yesterday and it happened to rain a bit. I went to that exact restroom and there were yellow cones on the floor warning of slippery floors. I can't testify to what was in the women's room but nobody slipped in the men's room while I was there.

 

[Dislifer]

Do you really think the flooring in this area is unique....One rainy day....One slip...lets move on.

I think the point here is that it is not ONE rainy day and not ONE slip.

 

[cstraub]

I was there yesterday and it happened to rain a bit. I went to that exact restroom and there were yellow cones on the floor warning of slippery floors. I can't testify to what was in the women's room but nobody slipped in the men's room while I was there.

Thanks for letting me know that there is at least a cone there now.

I agree with the other poster that it does seem like SW would replace floors like this because it would cost them loads to pay for all the lawsuits. I'm sure to replace or fix the floors would cost much less than paying for lawsuits.

I too am puzzled by this. I saw what I saw that day and I also had the worker witness someone fall. It does not make sense.

Maybe they (SW) were just unaware that it was really a problem. I'm sure lots of people just fall and get up and go on about their vacation. Maybe my letter brought it to their attention. Many people do not speak up especially when they themselves have not directly been effected or do not want to be viewed as trouble makers.

The people I encountered were not very friendly even though I was. Who knows what their reasons are for having and keeping those types of floors. All I'm saying is they need to be changed and quick before others are hurt.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

A bit late, but this wouldn't happen to be the restrooms behind the old Baywatch-style show stadium, would it? If so, we got trapped there in 2005 during a terrible downpour, and that was definitely one slick floor, even without a lot of water on it. Let us know if you get any more answers on this. You definitely did the right thing.

 

[RuddClan]

Imagine if it snowed? Do you think it would be more slippy?