Can trays at foodcourts be made slip-proof?

Food trays used in foodcourts and hawker centres have a hard surface, and bowls and plates tend to slip and slide on them.

One needs to be extremely careful when carrying food, such as a bowl of hot soup, on such trays.

Recently, my wife's bowl of hot soup slid and almost tipped over on me as I sat at the table waiting for her.

Months ago, a boy of about 10 years old was scalded in a foodcourt when such an accident took place.

Another woman, too, suffered burns when a bowl of hot curry spilt on her because of the tray's slippery surface.

There may be more of such cases.

A popular coffee outlet has a layer of anti-slip material pasted over the hard surface of the trays it uses. This effectively prevents saucers and cups from slipping even when the tray is tilted quite a bit.

With so many Singaporeans eating at foodcourts and hawker centres, operators should consider using such anti-slip materials for their trays to prevent such accidents.

Lee Kok Lin

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 17, 2017, with the headline Can trays at foodcourts be made slip-proof?. Subscribe