How to deliver compliant commercial flooring projects with the wow factor

You want to deliver commercial spaces that are flexible, functional and ooze design flair, however, aside from the aesthetics, there’s also another key element that plays a part in the equation – compliance.

Contrary to popular belief, designing commercial flooring doesn’t just simply involve creating captivating design spaces that are visually appealing and represent the latest style trends and inspiration.

For architects and designers, delivering a commercial flooring project also means adhering to commercial building codes and compliance regulations to ensure the products they’re using are safe, fit for purpose and future proof.

And if you’ve opted for a tiled floor then anti slip is undoubtedly one of the main, if not the most, important compliance factor that needs to be addressed, regardless of the commercial setting you’re working in.

The common cause of workplace injuries

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), slips and trips are the most common cause of injury in workplaces. On average, they’re the main culprit for more than a third of all major injuries and over 40% of all reported injuries to members of the public. Most of these accidents are slips, many of which happen when floor surfaces become contaminated by substances, such as water or grease.

Anti slip floor tiles are essential in helping prevent these types of injuries, read on for details of the main guidelines to watch out for to ensure your tiles meet the right anti slip criteria:

Anti slip flooring and British European Standards

Like all slip resistant flooring materials and footwear, anti slip tiles are covered by the British European Standards. Here’s an overview of the main guidelines:

BS7976
Describes the specification, operation and calibration of the pendulum test, which is used to assess the slipperiness of a floor in dry and contaminated conditions. The results are reported as Pendulum Test Value or Slip Resistance Value and are around 100 times the coefficient of friction.

DIN51130
This is a laboratory-based ramp test involving cleated safety boots and motor oil contamination. Results are reported as an R value, on a scale from R9 to R13, with R9 being the least slip resistant.

DIN51097
This test is also conduced in a laboratory this time, using barefoot operators with soapy water as the contaminant. Results are reported as Class A, B or C, with A being the least slip resistant.

EN13845
Another laboratory-based ramp test designed to specifically test resilient floor coverings with enhanced slip resistance. This test uses standardised footwear and soapy water contamination

Anti slip flooring and the wow factor

Now that we’ve covered the regulation part, we couldn’t finish this blog without covering another important consideration, the wow factor. It can be very easy to assume that specifying commercial flooring tiles is more focused on maintaining compliance than injecting any design or flair into your flooring project. However, this couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Yes, flooring tiles do need to adhere to the latest British Standards and HSE guidelines, but it’s still possible to create flooring projects that tick both the design appeal and compliance box. For instance, porcelain tiles are extremely strong, hardwearing and maintenance free and are capable of achieving the same stunning look as natural stone, but with the added benefit of durable and anti-slip qualities. What’s more, you can also achieve double the impact of your finished project if you opt for porcelain for your interior flooring as well as your outdoor flooring.

For more information about maintaining compliance or to discuss your commercial tiling requirements with us, call us on 01346 532747 or email us at sales@caledonianstone.creativem.co.uk.

In the meantime, why not take a look around our porcelain range.