From As-Found Condition to Standard: How a Slip Hazard Is Actually Assessed
The surface rarely explains a fall on its own. Entry design, matting, drainage, lighting and traffic flow all shape whether a contaminant reached the walking path and whether anyone was likely to see it. Each is recorded at the same inspection so the condition is described in its real context rather than in isolation.
The records then decide the notice question. Inspection intervals written into a policy but absent from the logs, work orders repeating for the same location, complaint histories and repairs deferred across budget cycles all point to a recurring condition rather than a one-off event. Where the logs for the relevant window are missing, that absence is documented as a finding in its own right rather than assumed to favour either party.
