Paul Rogers explains what makes a floor officially a safety floor and how to combine functionality, performance and aesthetics with LVT.
FLOORING is vital to any project, and safety flooring is even more important. Last year, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) reported that 32% of the 60,000 non-fatal injuries at work were owing to slips, trips or falls – the most common cause of incidents reported by employers in Great Britain under RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).
Safety floors play a crucial role in preventing slips and trips in commercial environments, reducing risks and improving overall safety. So, when specifying the most suitable safety flooring for a commercial property, what are the primary considerations?
Slip resistance
The most important factor is a floor’s slip resistance rating. Two significant tests help identify suitability: The pendulum test and ramp test. Although both have their merits, the pendulum test is the preferred method of the HSE and is based on swinging a pendulum with a rubber foot, over an area of flooring in a controlled manner. The test can be done in wet or dry conditions. The test results provide a product with a pendulum value (PTV) that specifiers can use to evaluate its performance, with a figure of 36 or above deemed to have a low slip potential. At Amtico, our 36+ rating is tested in wet conditions.
Enhanced performance
There’s more to safety floors than meets the eye when it comes to slip resistance. The BS EN 13845 Enhanced Slip Standard defines the minimum performance a floor or tile must have to officially be called a safety floor. It not only defines slip performance but also determines the performance is sustainable throughout the product’s life owing to the crushed ceramic particles in the wear surface still being present after many cycles of wear or abrasion. A product that doesn’t meet the requirements of the BS EN 13845 standard can only be defined in its slip rating as an ex-factory or ex-works result, as there’s no guarantee it will maintain its initial slip performance throughout its life. Amtico’s Signature, Form and Spacia collections all have a 36+ PTV; however, a unique manufacturing technique ensures that the Signature 36+ and Spacia 36+ collections adhere to the BS EN 13845 standard. This means the planks and tiles provide suitable slip resistance throughout their lifetime, so specifiers no longer need to compromise on design.
Design first
It would be fair to say that ‘safety first’ and ‘design freedom’ are not two phrases that have worked well together previously. Many product specifications focus solely on the practical elements; of course, this is acceptable in some back-of-house applications, but in hotels, bars and restaurants – where designing and creating ‘Instagrammable’ spaces is often integral to the success of a business – there has been a growing demand for more variety.
In recent years, some design limitations have been linked to the proliferation of sheet vinyl safety flooring, which is often one-dimensional and lacks natural details. Today, manufacturers offer more design-led options to tackle this market and provide specifiers and contractors with greater scope. For instance, Amtico recently added its popular designers’ choice laying patterns to the Signature 36+ collection. The LVT safety flooring can be specified in 23 patterns in over 100 options curated by the in-house design team, as well as unique versions that can be created by switching out one or all of the woods, stones and colours with the endless possibilities option.
When it comes to safety flooring, the choice has been limited and somewhat restrictive for some years. However, by taking a fresh approach to flooring specifications and opting for LVT that’s available in endless designs, commercial projects can benefit from superb slip resistance and improved hygienic benefits, while leading the way with a combined ‘safety and design first’ scheme.
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Paul Rogers is technical services manager at Amtico