Flooring

The floor in a workplace must be suitable for the type of work activity taking place on it.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992[28] (Regulation 12) require floors to be suitable, in good condition and free from obstructions. People should be able to move around safely.

Where a floor is likely to be subject to frequent contamination, people should still be able to walk on it without the risk of slipping. See Assessing the slip resistance of flooring[29], which also describes the relevant British and European standards.

For detailed information on flooring see Safer surfaces to walk on, CIRIA[30]

Case studies

To find out more about testing the slip resistance of floors in your workplace contact the Health and Safety Laboratory[33]

Link URLs in this page

  1. Slips and tripshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/index.htm
  2. The lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/law.htm
  3. Frequently asked questions https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/faq.htm
  4. Overview - Are you a?https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/are-you.htm
  5. Employerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/employers.htm
  6. Employeehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/workers.htm
  7. Architect or designerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/architects.htm
  8. Overview - Causes and preventionhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/preventing.htm
  9. Overview - Contaminationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/cleancampaign.htm
  10. Cleaninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/cleaning.htm
  11. Flooringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/flooring.htm
  12. Overview - Footwearhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/footprocure.htm
  13. Supplying slip-resistant footwearhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/manufactfoot.htm
  14. Environmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/environment.htm
  15. People (human factors)https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/human-factors.htm
  16. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/information.htm
  17. Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/publications.htm
  18. Overview - Toolshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/tools.htm
  19. STEP eLearning packagehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/step/index.htm
  20. Overview - Slips Assessment Tool (SAT)https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/sat/index.htm
  21. Using SAThttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/sat/default.htm
  22. Research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/research.htm
  23. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/casestudies.htm
  24. Campaignshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/campaigns.htm
  25. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/links.htm
  26. Audio and videohttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/audiovideo.htm
  27. Subscribehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/ebulletin/index.htm
  28. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3004/contents/made
  29. Assessing the slip resistance of flooringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis2.htm
  30. Safer surfaces to walk on, CIRIAhttps://www.ciria.org/ItemDetail?iProductCode=C652F&Category=FREEPUBS&WebsiteKey=a054c7b1-c241-4dd4-9ec1-38afd4a55683
  31. Poor floor specification threatened opening of museumhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/experience/museum.htm
  32. Pub restaurant chain's choice of kitchen floor surfacehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/experience/pub-floor.htm
  33. Health and Safety Laboratoryhttps://www.hsl.gov.uk/home
  34. Slips and trips - Hazard spotting checklisthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ck4.pdf
  35. Preventing slips and trips at work INDG 225 (rev1) https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg225.pdf
  36. Injury caused by a slip in a kitchenhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/audiovideo.htm
  37. Virtual College: Slips, Trips and Falls Online Traininghttps://www.virtual-college.co.uk/resources/slips-and-trips
  38. CIRIAhttp://www.ciria.org.uk/
  39. Usdaw: Risk mapping for slips and tripshttp://www.usdaw.org.uk/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=2db107ca-4d5d-49a2-99dc-16e187a59e71
  40. Work at heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/index.htm
  41. Shattered Liveshttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20200912193450/https://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/shattered.htm
  42. Cleaninghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/cleaning/index.htm
  43. Stop Slips in Kitchenshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/kitchens/index.htm
  44. RIDDOR - Report an incidenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/index.htm

Glossary of abbreviations/acronyms on this page

RIDDOR
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995

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2022-07-15