The essentials of non-slip flooring for businesses
At NWIF, we are the commercial flooring melbourne specialists that have dealt with the importance of safety for commercial and industrial flooring for over a decade.
When you stop to consider the amount of pedestrian traffic and footfall in and around public spaces such as schools, shopping areas, swimming pools, public bars and restaurants, then the requirement for non-slip epoxy flooring is very clear. Epoxy flooring is not only durable, anti-slip and hard wearing but also comes in a range of colours and shades to suit any commercial customers’ requirements. It is resistant to gouges or scratches which makes it an ideal choice in an area where there is constant wear and tear from boots, shoes, prams and wheels. So what do businesses and public sector bodies look for when it comes to installing flooring in their Melbourne premises that are used by both their staff but also the general public?
The safety aspect
There are several main requirements but the priority has to be Occupational Health and Safety and this starts with looking at reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls. External pathways and car parks, changing rooms at public swimming pools and schools, restaurants and bars, stores and shopping malls will, on a daily basis, have a range of water, fats, oils and chemicals trodden or dropped onto the surface of the floor. Stairs and ramps can also become wet and slippery and are even more of a risk to the general public. If the flooring is porous or cannot stand up to the rigours of daily life, then it will soon start to crack, causing even more of a hazard to the people walking over it.
Epoxy flooring offers a smooth seamless surface, easy to clean and maintain that makes it ideal for areas that get a lot of public use. It will save money for clients in the long run because it reduces the likelihood of trip and fall accidents which means less likelihood of litigation and expensive law suits against the business. It will offer peace of mind especially in high risk areas such as sports centres or in schools where there are large numbers of young children, so play areas and school sports facilities and canteens will also benefit from non-slip flooring.
Hygiene and cleanliness
Commercial flooring also meets a lot of the safety regulations required by different sector industry bodies particularly in the food and drink industry. Epoxy flooring provides an attractive, seamless floor coating that is chemical resistant, impervious and easy to clean. Again, having a non-slip and durable floor not only reduces the risk of accidents but with epoxy floors, they stand up to cleaning with hot water up to 60deg C and a wide range of chemical agents. The floors can be coved up at the floor / wall junctions so that mould or dirt cannot collect in the corners causing an unhygienic surface and breeding ground for bacteria.
Hard wearing and long lasting
Epoxy resin is applied directly over a concrete substrate and due to its superior adhesion qualities, bonds with the base substrate forming an extremely hard wearing and resilient surface.
Abrasion Resistant – Excellent
Weather Resistant – Very Good (But will chalk on exterior exposure)
Chemical Resistant – Very good to a wide range of Chemicals, Oils, Fats & Solvents
Due to the durability of this industrial flooring (Epoxy), it is ideal for industrial locations where hard wearing, hygienic, dust free environments are important
E.g.: Warehouse (Aeroplanes, Trucks, Cars, Forklifts, and Pallet Trolleys). Shopping Centres, Retail Outlets (Foot Traffic areas). Bicycles, Wheel chairs.
Finally, the non-slip flooring should look good from a design point of view, and today’s range of industrial and commercial flooring certainly fits that bill.