• Wear knee pads or use kneeling mats throughout all floor-level work
• Use a safety knife with a retractable blade for cutting vinyl materials
• Complete a COSHH assessment for all adhesives and primers before use
• Ventilate the room during and after adhesive application
• Check for asbestos-containing tiles before lifting any existing floor covering
• Use mechanical aids to move heavy rolls of sheet vinyl
• Wear RPE during subfloor preparation if grinding or sanding is needed
• Take regular breaks from kneeling to relieve pressure on joints
• Keep the work area clean and warn other trades about wet adhesive
• Store and dispose of adhesive containers in line with COSHH requirements

• DON'T use a fixed-blade knife where a retractable safety knife will work
• DON'T cut towards your body or supporting hand at any time
• DON'T apply adhesives in unventilated rooms — open windows or use fans
• DON'T kneel directly on hard floors without knee protection
• DON'T lift or carry heavy vinyl rolls manually without assessing the risk
• DON'T sand or grind subfloors without dust extraction and RPE
• DON'T ignore old floor tiles — they may contain asbestos materials
• DON'T leave open adhesive containers unattended in the work area
• DON'T allow other trades to walk on wet adhesive or freshly laid flooring
• DON'T continue working through pain in knees, back, or wrists

See also: Manual Handling Awareness | COSHH Awareness