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 (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, which also describes the relevant British and European standards.

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

Case studies

• Poor floor specification threatened opening of museum
• Pub restaurant chain's choice of kitchen floor surface

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