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We are replacing the floor tiles in the foyer of our apartment block (NSW) and the tiles the designer has chosen have a really rough surface, looking more like they would belong around a swimming pool. She says building regulations require these sorts of tiles for foyers (It’s internal so would never get wet apart from wet shoes/umbrellas etc).
I get that we need non-slip tiles, however I can’t even begin to imagine how dirty these will get and how impossible they will be to clean.
I’ve been googling slip ratings, but haven’t been able to find anything about regulations for apartment blocks. Does anybody have any experience with this who could point me in the right direction?
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Some tiles in common areas are horrendous to keep clean. I know – I have been an owner in a scheme where we had this problem.
Why don’t you do a bit of foot slogging to other public buildings in your area to see what types of flooring that they use? Banks, public libraries etc. All should have the same liability problems for slips and trips. Also go to a tile shop and do your own investigations.
OHS requires that employers and those who have control (or part thereof) of parts of buildings to show due diligence in ensuring that the risk of injury due to slips, trips and falls are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
I have read that the minimum rating for anti slip tiles is R11. When you buy your tiles I believe that you should try and obtain a compliance certificate that states the slip rating. That way you will have proof of the rating if anyone has a trip or slip on your floor in the future.
A bit of research has turned up the following. It refers to commecial buildings – which strata schemes may not be properly categorised as being – but best to err on the side of caution when negligence litigation is involved:
Building Code of Australia (BCA) Slip Resistance Requirements
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) include safety performance requirements for safe design which requires most commercial buildings to provide slip resistive surfaces for safe movement, specifically emergency access and egress. The slip resistance requirements of Clause D2.10, D2.13 & D2.14 of the BCA state that “non-slip” and “non-skid” surfaces must be installed for pedestrian ramps, stair treads and landings. Further, parts of buildings may need to comply with disability access requirements.
Slip ratings from CompleteTiles blog site:
- Anti-slip R10 – Anti-slip R10 rated tiles have a rougher surface than a standard matt tile (they are still matt in finish) and are used where slip is considered an issue. This is governed by Australian Standards in commercial areas. The other areas that they are often used are sometimes just good sense (e.g. In a bathroom/shower where older family members may be more prone to slips and falls). It is important to note that the more surface texture, the more grip (generally) and therefore the harder the tile surface will be to clean, this is a known factor in commercial areas and they factor this in and utilise industrial technology to assist. In the domestic environment it may mean manual scrubbing of the floor to ensure cleanliness.
- -Anti slip R11 – Anti-slip R11 rated floor tiles are the minimum mandated around domestic pools as well as various commercial flooring applications. This is also considered good practice for any outdoor tiled areas around your home to improve safety. This level of surface texture will be quite difficult to clean; often the easiest way at home is with a water pressure cleaning machine. In this category there are often many textures available and this will enhance the selection process.
- Anti-slip R12 – Anti-slip R12 and above rated tiles are for hazardous areas, often specified by architects in conjunction with Australian Standards. These tiles are also often used as features due to their coarse surface providing a large contrast (this could be in a floor or wall)
See this link which appears to indicate that a dry foyer may only require R9:
https://www.beaumont-tiles.com.au/portals/0/pdfs/tile-ratings.pdf