A deck of a problem
June 1st 2008 An increase in the number of people using outside decking areas since the smoking ban means many organizations are now using antislip inserts on decking areas to reduce the likelihood of slips and trips, explains Christian Brash
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that there are around 35,000 slips, trips and falls per annum resulting in injury. Costs to businesses, including claims from both employees and the public is in the region of £512m a year. Slips, trips and falls are often considered to be amusing by some, however, in reality this is far from the case, particularly when it is the most vulnerable in society, such as the elderly, who suffer the most.
Slips, trips and falls can occur for a variety of reasons ranging from the wearing of unsuitable footwear, the location and aspect of the project to specific weather conditions. One thing that all these have in common is that the greatest proportion of accidents occur as a result of wet conditions or deposits of slippery substances on the floor surface. In terms of decking, rain and closeness to water sources is the main cause of wet conditions which, on smooth timber decking, can result in a tendency for flat soled shoes to aquaplane.
Stepping up to the challenge
Overhanging trees and vegetation are the main causes of
slippery substances on decking. The design of the deck itself can also be a cause of accidents, for example, slips and trips often occur where there is a sudden change in the floor or ground level, such as steps.
When we were developing our range of antislip decking inserts, we therefore had to design a product that offered increased resistance to slipping as well as being able to clearly denote these changes in height. The eventual solution proved to be simplicity itself - once we developed the range of anti slip inserts, which are based on resin based aggregate inserts injected into the deck board grooves, we offered them a range of colours so they could be used to denote change in heights and steps.
Our standard inserts, which provide the slip resistant surface, are medium grey in colour. The anti slip inserts can also be ordered in a range of solid colours to draw attention to certain areas of the deck for both visual, practical and safety reasons. For instance, if different parts of the decking are at varying heights, a coloured anti-slip insert will make the boundary of where one board ends and another starts, easier to see. The change in colour alerts pedestrians to potential hazards. All the anti-slip inserts, which are now known as JB Antislip Plus, were designed to fit in our Decksure structural timber decking, which now allows customers to choose medium grey inserts, coloured inserts, or simply have as a grooved deck board, with all of them being completely interchangeable.
When we were designing the anti slip range we were aware that local conditions can often make the potential for slips and trips much worse. The obvious example of this is the weather and the presence of ice or snow is a major factor. Even in summer, the sap from trees, which creates an oily/greasy surface on the decking, can cause it to become extremely slippery. We recently installed our JB Antislip Plus decking at Bristol Zoo Gardens which was assessed as having a potential high risk of slips and falls.
With high visitor numbers, over 500,000 each year, next to a water course with overhanging vegetation, it was a classic case of slippery and hazardous conditions and one of the reasons why the zoo decided to address the issue.
Monkey business
Bristol Zoo was keen to ensure that they met the HSE requirements along with its own very demanding safety needs expected from family orientated venues. The decking was fitted around the lake which borders the new Monkey Jungle and its near neighbour Gorilla Island.
On this particular project, the antislip inserts were fitted into the Decksure structural timber decking which is made from European Redwood carefully selected to BS4978: 1996 strength class C24. The decking at Bristol Zoo Gardens is now proving to be a valued addition to the venue, creating a visually pleasing design as well as helping improve the safety and wellbeing of all the visitors.
Localised project requirements are not the only factor driving the need for antislip decking. We have seen an increase in enquiries for our antislip product since the smoking ban was first introduced. What appears to be happening is that more people are using these areas in pubs and restaurants for smoking, with the result being an increase in slips and trips, especially during winter.
Many operators of these establishments are now considering the benefits of antislip inserts especially as the potential for litigation and compensation from these types of accidents is very high.
Once we had designed the range we carried out independent testing with the Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL) using a Stanley Pendulum Test operated to the current issue of the United Kingdom Slip Resistance Group (UKSRG) guidelines (Issue 3, 2005). JB Antislip Plus was shown to far exceed the minimum requirement for 'low potential for slip' in both dry and wet conditions.
We carried out a huge amount of work in developing the JB Antislip Plus range with the ultimate aim being to improve the safety on external decking areas. The example of Bristol Zoo Gardens shows what can be achieved when there is a co-ordinated approach between improving safety as well as creating a decking area that has enhanced aesthetic appeal. More articles from John Brash & Co. Ltd: | 
