FLOORING


be made readily available by the manufacturer. To further complicate matters, some test methods are more valuable and trustworthy indicators of slip resistance than others. The pendulum test is preferred by the


HSE to assess the dynamic co-efficient of friction in a floor covering and is achieved by swinging a dummy heel over the floor surface to simulate a foot slipping on a wet floor. A standardised rubber sole sample is used on the foot of the pendulum to represent a standard shoe sole of average slip resistance. Widely used, the greatest strength


of this test is that the machine is highly portable and can easily be used in situ, so the slip resistance of the floor can be assessed over its whole life. HSE guidelines call for a floor to achieve a pendulum test value of 36 and above when wet to be classified as of low slip potential, with results quoted using a Four S (Slider 96) rubber slider. This equates to a slip risk level of one in one million. While floor surfaces can be tested wet


or dry, always look out for the wet result, as this is the condition in which slipping is most likely to occur. If specifying for potentially wet areas where safety flooring is required, products with very high dry pendulum results quoted in isolation should be avoided. For floor coverings in continually wet areas such as walk-in showers, a softer rubber slider is used on the pendulum foot to simulate the act of a bare foot or soft soled footwear slipping on a floor. The same level – 36 or above – should be met to give a low slip risk potential classification.


The ramp test It is generally known and accepted by flooring professionals that if true slip resistant safety flooring is required, then solely basing a specification on R values from a ramp test can be misleading for specifiers and end users. This test involves a person with work boots walking over a flooring sample on an inclined ramp in the presence of an oil contaminant. The resulting number of degrees the ramp can be inclined before the operator slips is categorised into appropriate R values (from R9 to R13). This test has been commonly used in


Europe, especially in the ceramic flooring sector. However, there are a number of issues with this method. Firstly, a common misconception is that the R scale runs from R1 to R13, with R1 being the least slip resistant rating. In fact, R9 is the lowest possible rating. Generally, safety flooring achieves a minimum R10 rating, but a specification should not be made solely using this information. Most significantly, the ramp test is carried out ex-factory and is not practical to replicate on site. It therefore gives no reliable measure of performance during the expected life of


IFHE DIGEST 2019


decoration to vibrant, inventive colours. The aggregate in traditional safety flooring often included dark aggregates that were highly visible to provide the friction. However, now aggregates can be virtually invisible, meaning that the aesthetic appearance is that of a smooth vinyl, contributing to a more peaceful environment and, increasingly popular for specialist care environments catering for people living with dementia. Safety flooring now offers a


The ramp test involves a person with work boots walking over a flooring sample on an inclined ramp in the presence of an oil contaminant.


the floor as is possible with the pendulum and surface roughness tests and cannot be considered a reliable measure of sustained in situ slip performance. The UK Slip Resistance Group also


found that the ramp test does not correlate at all with the pendulum test because of the difference in the contaminants used and the more industrial footwear used by the operator in the ramp test. A ramp test can also be undertaken where the operator is barefoot, with soap solution as the contaminant. Floors are divided into three categories – A, B or C – depending on the angle at which the operator slips. As with the shod ramp test, specifying a safety floor for barefoot areas using only ramp test results should be avoided. The HSE recommends the use of the pendulum test in conjunction with the surface microroughness metre for ‘real life’ in situ results. Other methods of measuring slip resistance, such as the ramp test, are complementary and should not be used as sole indicators for specification.


Performance and aesthetics It has been widely misconstrued that in order to have safety flooring you must pay the price in terms of aesthetics. However, safety flooring has developed to meet market demands and is now being used across front and rear of house areas within hospitals, health centres and specialist care environments. In such areas, the chosen floor covering needs to be visually appealing to promote wellbeing and comfort, but must also offer the correct level of sustainable slip resistance. Today safety flooring comes in various guises, ranging from subtle, nuanced


combination of style and substance, with warmer, brighter and more contemporary designs available including wood and stone effects that are far removed from the institutional, clinical look of old. Safety flooring designed in this way can be used in conjunction with appropriate lighting, acoustics and effective way finding to create inspiring interiors. Thanks to continuous product


development and technological advancements in the manufacturing process, traditional concerns over high maintenance costs due to the abrasive nature of safety flooring should no longer be a barrier to specification. The development of maintenance enhancements means greatly improved maintenance benefits, optimum appearance retention and lifecycle maintenance cost savings of up to 60 per cent. Safety flooring in sheet format can also be easily thermally welded to create a non-porous and watertight finish.


Conclusion Effective healthcare design is about the creation of safe and clean surroundings for patients, staff and visitors. The operational requirements of a hospital environment can be inherently complex and floor finishes are required to meet high functional, aesthetic and durability standards, with different areas within buildings requiring different levels of performance and slip resistance characteristics. It is down to everyone in the supply chain to ensure that where safety flooring is required, the selected products should be both fit for purpose and correctly specified. While the market for safety flooring is global, there is significant scope for increased specification around the world. By adhering to the key measures of sustainable slip performance specifiers, the risk of slip, trip and fall related incidents within healthcare environments can be significantly reduced.


IFHE


References 1 Health and Safety Executive. Costs to Britain of Workplace Injuries and New Cases of Work-related Ill Health – 2016/17. [www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/cost.htm].


2 Health and Safety Executive. Non-fatal Injuries at Work in Great Britain.


71


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76