SAMANTHA KERR - SAFETY FLOORING MARKETING MANAGER, POLYFLOR FLOORING
Floor finishes to reduce the risk of slips and trips
Globally, slips, trips and falls are the cause of a significant proportion of workplace injuries, but why is the specification of safety flooring so much more frequent within the UK than elsewhere around the world?
Safety flooring in situ at Midland Orthodontics.
According to the UK Health and Safety Executive, there are 595,000 workplace injuries annually in the UK1
an estimated 31 per cent are the result of a slip, trip or fall related incident;2
and of these, about
184,000 workplace injuries can be attributed to slips, trips and falls. While data sources and incident rates
vary around the world, it would also be fair to assume that globally, slips, trips and falls make up a significant portion of workplace injuries. However, while safety flooring is specified in international
Safety flooring at Manor Hospital features an oak finish.
markets, specification is significantly less frequent than it is in the UK. So, what is safety flooring? Quite
simply, enhanced slip resistance is achieved by increasing the friction between the foot and the floor to give underfoot protection in areas where spills can occur. This friction increase is obtained through the combination of safety aggregates and particles, which with the floor’s surface emboss provide a rougher, harder friction surface to ‘bite’ into the under surface of footwear and create the necessary traction and durability. In healthcare environments, slip
Samantha Kerr
Samantha is responsible for managing the safety flooring portfolio, which includes launching major new ranges. Her role also involves developing knowledge and expertise of the market and supporting and communicating with customers.
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resistant safety flooring may be specified for various areas including corridors, wards, treatment rooms, bathrooms, en-suites, waiting rooms and circulation areas. Slip resistance is also required in continually wet areas such as wet rooms and shower rooms, where flooring with a subtle raised emboss can be used in conjunction with aggregates to increase grip when the floor is covered with water. One possible explanation for the
increased level of safety flooring specification within the UK could be slip resistance testing. In the UK, HSE and UK Slip Resistance Group guidelines have acted as a performance benchmark for specifiers and manufacturers to follow. These guidelines provide clear product performance criteria that has led to
increased confidence in specification and the more frequent use of safety flooring. The single most important factor to
consider when specifying a safety flooring product is to ensure that the stated level of performance is sustainable and assured for the guaranteed life of the product. Clearly, ongoing sustainable performance is essential to ensure the underfoot safety of users. However, specifying safety flooring can be a confusing area for specifier and client alike. On the one hand, there is a requirement to specify safety flooring that is safe and fit for use against a backdrop of increasing awareness and litigation in the case of slips and trips. On the other, there are a plethora of test methods to assess the slipperiness of floors, various manufacturer claims and competing products to complicate choice. Therefore, it is vital to use a reputable
manufacturer that can demonstrate previous experience in the areas you are working in and to ask for advice. Use the manufacturer’s customer service team and the company’s expertise to help you specify the right product and remember that the manufacturer is there to help.
Testing safety floors Safety flooring can be subject to a variety of international tests for measuring slip resistance, the results of which should
IFHE DIGEST 2019
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