January feels quiet. Occupancy is lower, activity resumes slowly, and buildings reopen after maintenance cycles. That calm is deceptive.

From a slip risk perspective, January is one of the most vulnerable periods of the year.

What Changes Over the Break

Commercial buildings often undergo:

• deep cleaning
• resealing or polishing
• contractor changes
• reduced supervision
• altered foot traffic patterns

Each of these affects floor performance. Taken together, they can materially change slip resistance before normal operations resume.

The Re-Entry Problem

When buildings reopen, surfaces are assumed to be safe because nothing appears damaged. But performance may already be compromised.

Staff return. Tenants reopen. Visitors arrive.
The first full-traffic exposure often happens before any verification occurs.

Why Incidents Cluster Early in the Year

Many slip incidents occur:

• shortly after reopening
• following maintenance work
• in transitional weather conditions
• before routine inspections resume

The issue isn’t neglect — it’s timing.

Portfolio Risk vs Site Risk

For organisations managing multiple sites, January compounds risk:

• inconsistent maintenance practices
• varying cleaning contractors
• uneven documentation
• assumptions carried over from the previous year

Without systematic verification, exposure accumulates silently.

A Better January Reset

January is the moment to:

• confirm performance after change
• prioritise high-risk zones
• reset testing schedules
• document baseline conditions for the year ahead

Proactive checks at this point reduce reactive responses later.