Poor design considerations and improper maintenance/cleaning methods on wet
floors present responsible property owners and managers with consequences that
can have far reaching implications in safety and costs. Wet areas like pool surrounds
and adjacent facilities such as change rooms, present potential slip hazards that are
often an afterthought of design or occur with increasing regularity over time as the
surface becomes more slippery.
The first challenge is to understand the slip resistance of your floor surface. Slip
resistance can be measured and monitored over time and remediation can be
effective. However, the second challenge is understanding the consequences of
installing an overly aggressive surface that might exceed recommendations for slip
resistance, but introduce other health and safety issues resulting from an overly
rough surface.
So what’s the right balance?
ATTAR, an engineering consulting company specialising in floor safety, discuss the
challenges and solutions in maintaining wet floor surfaces to ensure you maintain
duty of care responsibilities and present a wet floor surface that is practical and
viable to maintain.
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Wet Floors. The Battle Over Slip, Hygiene & Maintenance
Slip resistance and hygiene present a range of complex issues in minimising the risk
of injury for managers and operators responsible for swimming pool surrounds and
communal change rooms. Investing a little time to consider the consequences of
decisions in selecting a floor surface and its maintenance/cleaning regime will offer
significant savings in operational and potential legal expenses.
Slip resistance and slip resistance testing are terms familiar to those involved in
property management, but little is known of the testing methods and even less is
understood in how to interpret and act on the results.
There are two Australian Standards for the measurement of slip resistance of
flooring surfaces. The test method appropriate for in-situ pool surrounds is AS/NZS
4663: 2004, Slip Resistance Measurement of Existing Pedestrian Surfaces. The
publication by Standards Australia (Handbook HB 197 - An Introductory Guide to the
Slip Resistance of Pedestrian Surface Materials), is commonly used as a means of
setting minimum slip resistance recommendations for specific locations
Table 3 of HB 197 recommends a slip resistance classification for swimming pool
surrounds as ‘W’ using the Wet Pendulum test method and ‘B’ using the
Wet/Barefoot Ramp test method. Inclined surfaces will require a higher slip
classification. The Wet/Barefoot Ramp test results should be reviewed prior to
installation. For the purpose of this discussion we will focus on the Wet Pendulum
test method, since it is suitable for both existing (in-situ) testing as well as surfaces
prior to installation.
“Duty of care” responsibilities defined in legislations extend beyond considerations
for slip accidents. The risk of infection due to poor hygiene and/or cleaning is also a
factor that needs to be properly addressed.
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Slip Resistance. Test and Response.
Slip resistance test results are a clear and accurate measurement of the risk of
slipping, but need to be conducted by a competent operator. Results can be
compared with the minimum recommendations in Table 3 of HB 197 to justify
decisions that involve remedial action and also provide peace of mind knowing that
the floors comply with these best practice recommendations.
Remedial action addressing surfaces that do not meet recommendations need to
take into account numerous factors such as the surrounding environment, chemical
resistance/attack on the surface and surface material. Therefore it is recommended
that advice from an independent floor consultant be sought.
However, a surface that has a significantly higher slip resistance than the
recommendations provide, may present other safety and hygiene issues. A surface
with an overly high slip resistance may be so rough that it introduces cleaning
challenges and potential injury from falls and resulting abrasions. Surfaces that are
very rough can also trap contaminants leading to concerns over hygiene.
There is little advantage in exceeding the recommendations for slip resistance if as a
consequence, cleaning and maintenance of the surface becomes either impractical
or unviable.
Swimming pool patrons unwittingly introduce bacteria, fungi, viruses and other
pathogens onto the floor surface which, if not adequately cleaned and disinfected,
may create health problems that can be transferred to other pool users. Selection of
an appropriate cleaning regime is of upmost importance. Some of the factors to be
considered are listed below:
•
Flooring material to be cleaned (i.e. Ceramic tiles, epoxy coating, etc.).
•
Nature of the contamination to be removed.
•
The effect of the cleaning chemical on the pool.
•
The effect of the cleaning chemicals on the flooring material.
•
Application method and cleaning frequency.
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•
Cost.
The task of cleaning may appear to be simple but is actually a complex science.
Without consideration for the cleaning methods and materials, the floor surface can
suffer irreparable damage, or the contaminants present may not be removed,
thereby creating potential hygiene issues.
Slip Resistance Vs Hygiene
If we look to Australian Standards for guidance on slip/fall incidents and hygiene, we
find AS/NZS 3661.2, Guide to the Reduction of Slip Hazards. This Standard
specifically mentions the need for consideration of the clean-ability of floor surfaces
as well as adequate slip resistance and the need for proper care and maintenance.
AS/NZS 3661.2 states that the cleaning system should be considered at the design
stage of a project. In many cases that we have experienced, this valuable guideline
has not been heeded. As a consequence, and somewhat unfairly, the responsibility
of correcting this rests solely with the operator of the facility.
Contaminants & Cleaning
The consequence of improper cleaning was the subject of an investigation by
ATTAR (Advanced Technology Testing and Research) with a typical pool surround
floor material contaminated with fats to approximate a worst case scenario with the
body fats and oils that are commonly found in the pool environment. Tests showed
that contamination of the surface with the fats led to a significant decrease in the slip
resistance of the floor surface. It was also found that commonly adopted pool
cleaning regimes incorporating cold/warm water, neutral detergents and acidic
detergents did not effectively remove contamination from the surface and that a
specifically designed cleaning system was required to ensure the surface was
adequately clean and slip resistant.
Finally, the need for regular empirical monitoring of the floor surfaces is highly
recommended, as people’s perceptions are often different. Regular cleaning and
maintenance is important but so is the regular measurement of the floor’s slip
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resistance. Regular testing may show changes in slip resistance as a result of wear
from pedestrian traffic and the effects of contamination whether it is by soiling or
improper cleaning chemicals and/or cleaning methods. Regular monitoring and an
appropriate response to test results, provide evidence of exemplary due diligence.
More importantly, this data can be used to give operators some peace of mind that
staff and patrons have a safe environment for work and play.
Summary
This article should give readers sufficient guidance to make informed decisions on
both selection of new surfaces and the treatment and maintenance of existing
surfaces. It will likely surprise many with the complexity of design and maintenance
of any flooring surface, particularly of that in an environment such as pool surrounds.
Slip resistance of a surface is an important factor in preventing slip and fall incidents
but hygiene should also play a part in design and maintenance to ensure all
stakeholders are adequately protected. There is little advantage in exceeding the
recommendations for slip resistance if as a consequence, cleaning and maintenance
of the surface becomes either impractical or unviable. In many cases this may mean
that a higher than recommended slip resistant floor is not necessarily the most
suitable.
Although the thought of tackling slip resistance and hygiene in your facility may be
daunting, where these issues are addressed in a systematic manner with sound
advice and forethought from consultation with experts, then the experience will be a
worthwhile one and the solution made a whole lot quicker and easier in the long run.
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