Choosing for Education

Employers and organisations have a duty of care to every employee, student and visitor within their establishment. As regulations become increasingly demanding and society ever more litigious, it is essential to provide and maintain a safe environment for all.

The Facts: Slips And Trips

The European Commission’s “Campaign for a Safer EU” aims to reduce slip and trip accidents by 25% by 2012. Currently 55% of all accidents in education are caused by a slip or trip. In 2008, the HSE reports almost 2,000 major injury slip and trip accidents in the education sector; 571 of which were to employees, representing a 5% increase on 2007. Of these 2,000 injuries, 90% suffered broken bones, causing considerable personal distress and a significant amount of time away from work.
The education sector in particular places heavy demands on its flooring. Its risk areas typically include slopes, steps, heavy traffic circulation areas, play and sports areas, kitchens, student union bars, launderettes, laboratories, art, technology and computer suites. These are all busy places that present significant risk on their own, which can be aggravated by the behaviour of the young, who do not always appreciate their role in accident prevention.
A further risk is presented by the threat of contamination (through water, food, litter and chemicals), which can seriously alter the performance of the flooring if not adequately provided for.
All Altro safety floors for shoed traffic have a Slip Resistant Value (SRV) of SRV36 or above as recommended by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) and provide underfoot traction to assist with walking and safety.

Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

• The HSE Education Information Sheet states, “Ensure consideration is given to eliminating slip and trip risks during the design stage of the changes – for example, installation of a slip-resistant floor”
• In classroom areas, “Provide coat hooks/racks for drying wet clothing – consider siting such areas on specialist anti-slip flooring as even drips of rain water on smooth surfaces can be enough to result in slips”
• Many slips occur in kitchens and food serveries. Equipment and work surfaces should be maintained to avoid contamination of the floor surface. Floor surfaces should be non-slip and appropriate for use in kitchens (please refer to the Altro Kitchen Handbook for Altro K30 solutions)
• For further information, please refer to the HSE guide Preventing Slip and Trip Incidents in the Education Sector

The Facts: Bog Standard

• The UK campaign to promote better toilets for pupils advises that the condition of school toilets can affect children’s physical and psychological health. Toilets that are unpleasant or out of bounds can cause serious, long-term health problems. Students who do not drink enough water or who actively avoid using unpleasant toilets can suffer loss of concentration and tiredness
• Altro flooring and wall cladding products for use in toilet areas are easy to clean and maintain, without the need for harsh chemicals. They retain their appearance over the life of the product, making them highly cost-effective. For added hygiene, Altro products contain Altrosan, an integral bacteriostat to inhibit the growth of bacteria
• Altro have pioneered Altro Easyclean Technology to enable quick and efficient cleaning. Cleaning and maintenance manuals are provided with all installations
• Altro’s portfolio boasts a wide range of colours, finishes and patterns to offer you excellent design options

The Facts: Wear And Tear

• The bigger the foot, the more durable the floor requirement. With many universities catering for 40,000 students and more, the demands on flooring in education have never been tougher
• Altro recommend safety flooring of 2.5mm or above for high traffic areas
• Altro safety flooring withstands foot traffic, chair scraping, regular furniture movement, has high point loading (is resistant to dents from swinging on one leg of a chair)
• Altro Maxis Technology reduces the stain effect of powder paints, when mopped up quickly
• Altro flooring and wall cladding are resilient and designed to withstand high usage and daily knocks and scrapes. A hard-wearing Altro floor covering, wall covering or doorset will give many years’ service, remaining safe and easy to maintain, with long lasting appearance retention, thereby avoiding the need for regular replacement, which reduces downtime and life cycle costs

Education Sector Specification Considerations

Flooring

• Skirting type
• Drainage / existing substrate
• Inspection covers/manholes
• Expected regularity of furniture movement
• Activities in areas (eg wet, dry play, multi-purpose, sports, assemblies)
• Intensity of traffic
• Heaviness of footfall
• Shoed or barefoot traffic
• Acoustics
• Proposed cleaning and disinfection regime
• Ground floor or upper floor location
• Spillages of food
• Potential for tracked in dirt
• Barrier matting
• Colour coding requirement
• Contrasting colours required for inclusive design
• Inclusive design requirement
• Time available for installation

Walls

• Existing substrate / wall finish
• Extra impact resistance required
• Pipes, vents, ducts, wall furniture, window and door frames
• Colour / colour contrast finish requirement
• Hygiene requirement
• Proposed cleaning and disinfection regime
• Time available for installation
• Coved skirting to avoid tight corners for hygiene and easy cleaning

Ceilings & doors

• Vision panels in doors
• Need for colour contrast on doors and frames or walls and ceilings
• Natural, direct or surface fixed lighting
• Ceiling access
• Cleaning regime
• Time available for installation