We have been specialists in safety flooring and hygienic wall sheet systems for wet environments for more than 30 years. Our solutions have been developed to help prevent slips in areas where people are often at their most vulnerable, but also help promote hygiene, minimising opportunities for bacteria growth and improving cleanability.
Wet environments are not just about water; it’s also what we use in those areas, including shower gel and shampoo. The slip risks that these contaminants create are potentially dangerous and could cause serious accidents. Slips and falls aren’t the only consideration in wet environments. Indoor humidity and poor cleaning can lead to build-ups of bacteria and mould, which can impact health as well as the appearance of the rooms.
Preventing slips where it matters: our test results
We believe standard industry test values don’t always provide clarity of slip potential and that the categories of values are too broad, which is why we combine them. We also test using different contaminants so that we can be sure our flooring does what it should. Our flooring for wet environments is tested with what you will actually find there: shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Altro Aquarius and Altro Pisces still have a PTV of ≥36 against all these contaminants and the risk of slipping is just one in a million.
The Pendulum Test (BS 7976)
The ‘pendulum’ is a swinging, dummy heel that sweeps over a set area of flooring in a controlled manner to simulate slipping on a wet floor. The slipperiness of the flooring has a direct and measurable effect on the pendulum value. Flooring that achieves a wet result of Pendulum Test Value ≥36 has a low slip potential.
The Ramp Test (DIN 51130)
The Ramp Test is widely used. R9-R13 values are based on angle measurements of a motor oil-covered ramp that an operator walks on. The angle at which the operator slips forms the R value, but because the most common contaminant on floors is water, using motor oil doesn’t give a true representation of what happens in real life situations. The barefoot version of the test (DIN 51097), where the ramp is covered in water, rates flooring A, B or C. Altro Aquarius and Altro Pisces are rated class B.
The test results prove:
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Altro specialist flooring for wet environments can protect users from slips, even with a range of contaminants
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It’s important to choose flooring to cater for contaminants and the type of traffic that will use it i.e. shoes and/or bare feet
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Altro safety flooring for wet environments delivers a lifetime slip resistance of up to one in a million. By reducing the chance of slips and falls, you can reduce insurance claims.