Don't slip up on flooring
December 1st 2008

Slips and trips cause more trouble than anything else; the UK figure is about 20% of all recorded accidents. 700,000 hospitals beds are filled by people who slipped and were injured at work. In the USA, death from slipping is second only to car accidents. Architect Christopher Sykes examines the issues and looks at how safety matting solves problems

The science of contact between floor and shoe is not difficult to understand. For example, ceramic tiles may look good but can be lethal when wet; oil and floors don't mix; standing for long periods on cold concrete can damage your body; suddenly changing level, even a mere 3cm, can cause a serious accident. Different applications require different solutions to deal with spillage of water, oil, chemicals, blood and everyday dirt and dross. Slip-resistant mattings can be solid surface or open grid to dissipate liquids or droppings. So, it remains as much the responsibility of the floorcovering manufacturer to help the customer by minimizing problems and maximizing slip resistant solutions.

Performance in practice Many testing houses, like SATRA, provide a range of specialist technical services devoted to flooring. However, this is not an exact science. Testing methods vary and there is really no substitute for assessing floorings and comparing them under site conditions. That is why test strips of different floorcoverings are often laid in busy areas such as airports and shopping centres. Apart from the type of floor, slip resistance is also influenced by the speed a person is moving, what type of shoe sole they have (runner, leather, plastic, whatever), whether it is dry or wet underfoot and, if wet, what the liquid is. Obviously, one of the best ways of making a confident choice is to ask the manufacturer for proof of fitness for purpose and examine the experience of a similar application. Plastic Extruders, for example, publish case studies and quotes from other users and test results. A good example is the procedure adopted for Vynagrip. Widely used for industrial, manufacturing and heavy duty working environments, this matting was redesigned with a more deeply etched top surface to improve its slipresistant performance (image). Clearly, it was necessary to prove the claim on offer, so the matting was independently tested in the laboratory using the German DIN criteria. The test for slip-resistance (DIN 51 130) and for drainage (BGR 181) is ingenious. A sample is laid on a tilting table which can be raised on lowered and the angle of inclination measured. The matting is covered with an oily substance which also measures its draining potential. An assistant, wearing calibrated footwear, stands on the surface while the table is lifted to the angle at which sliding begins to occur. The result was very good news for Plastex because the new surface was rated R12 (angle of incline 29.5 degrees) against a previous rating of R10 (angle of incline 17.2 degrees) - an increased slip-resistance of over 70%. Since R13 is the highest rating this proved that the matting offered one of the highest slip resistance for industrial use and especially in the presence of oil or grease. A word of caution because this test is not for normal floorings, especially where water is the more common lubricant. Water is a quite different problem and other types of test or specially designed products are available.

Wet areas Selection of the right flooring in changing rooms and wet areas (in sports and leisure centres, pavilions, golf clubs, schools or wherever) often results in designers getting it wrong. By definition, design is driven by aesthetics but aesthetics doesn't count for much when your customer has slipped on those 'pretty' ceramic tiles and broken a leg. Water is a dangerous substance.. Here it is vital to remove as much as possible and retain a drier surface. The best cost effective and performance solution is to use slip resistant matting. Open grid matting, with raised profile underbars, helps drain water away towards the floor grilles while the embossed surface remains relatively dry and highly slip resistant. The matting is very hardwearing yet comfortable to stand on; the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal additives ensure it is hygienic for bare feet. A similar version is used on flat roofs to create all weather slip resistant safety walkways and to protect the roof covering (Image). At the end of the day, the designer and the managers want the facility to look attractive. Once the correct specification of safe flooring has been made, it becomes a nice problem to decide on the design of the interior, the lockers and what colours to use (image). Changing changing-rooms and enhancing swimming pool surrounds for the better is a practised art.

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