Safety Flooring Derby

Safety flooring helps keep a space safe wherever there is a risk of slips, trips or falls. It's something of a catch-all term, because several different floor types each give a safety benefit against a particular hazard. Whichever floor it is, its main purpose is to prevent accidents and injuries by giving more grip underfoot.

You'll mostly find safety flooring in commercial and public settings such as hospitals, schools, gyms and kitchens, where safety is a top priority. As a general rule it also resists moisture and chemicals, which makes it durable and long-lasting.

For businesses there's a legal side too. HSE figures consistently put slips and trips among the most common causes of injury at work, and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to keep floors free from anything that makes them slippery enough to create a risk. See our commercial flooring page for how we plan installations in business premises.

The Health and Safety Executive's preferred measure is the pendulum test, which gives a Pendulum Test Value (PTV). A PTV of 36 or above indicates low slip potential in wet conditions. The test uses different rubber sliders for shod and barefoot use, so for showers and wet rooms, check that the figure quoted is the barefoot one.

Safety vinyl made to EN 13845 is designed to keep its slip resistance for the life of the floor rather than wearing smooth. We'll talk you through the data for each option, but for a workplace, your own risk assessment decides what's needed.

Safety flooring is often associated with commercial premises, but wet rooms are increasingly popular in homes too. Most people think of ceramic floor tiles first for bathrooms and wet rooms, and rightly so, as tiles are still the most popular choice in homes. With an ageing population and a focus on low maintenance, though, vinyl flooring for wet rooms is a very good alternative. Installed with cap coving, it gives a continuous floor-to-wall surface that is hygienic and easy to look after.

Whatever you're considering for your wet room floor, we can talk you through all the options when we come to measure up and quote.

One of our more specialised safety flooring options for wet rooms is cap coving, where the floor is taken part-way up the wall instead of stopping at a joint. It gives a seamless, clean finish at the edges of the floor, so there are no gaps for dirt and debris to collect, which makes the floor quicker and easier to clean.

For commercial and communal changing rooms with showers this matters a great deal, because there is nowhere for mould to build up and put people off using the facility. The coving also acts as a barrier between the floor and the wall, helping stop water seeping into the walls and reducing the risk of mould and damp. The finish can be matched to the colour scheme of your business or room.

Tiles with a rougher or embossed surface give extra grip underfoot, which is especially important in commercial settings. Where heavy objects are carried around, or where parts of the floor are regularly exposed to the outside, water will come into the building on wet days. The right anti-slip flooring or floor tiles will reduce the risk of injury.

If you're not sure what's best for your workplace, we can visit your premises to assess what the floor will be exposed to and how much foot traffic it will see, then come back to you with recommendations and quotes for suitable non-slip options.