I recently took a call from a flooring contractor who wanted to know which type of flooring would be best suited for a hospital treatment room. As a supplier I knew he has a duty of care to ensure the flooring he selects is safe and fit for purpose and it's part of our role here at Altro to help and ensure the right flooring is specified. However, not everyone will know if they are selecting the right floor, which is why the HSE have set up a new website which makes this task that much easier.
If you have not used the website before, don't worry, it's a really user friendly site. It is designed to help architects / designers, interior designer, estates and facilities mangers, landlords, building surveyors and building control officers in making the right specification choice. Basically, it's for anyone who may need to choose a floor covering.
You can find the website here www.hse.gov.uk/slips and to get started just click the Guidance Tab and the Flooring Selection Tool. The Flooring Selection Tool will then guide you through the process and help you to find the right flooring. The tool also helps you identify types of flooring that will retain their slip resistant properties when contaminated with some common liquids. There are 9 headings ranging from Education and Healthcare to Leisure. Once you have chosen your category choose the work area. From there a simply Yes or No question will lead you to the type of flooring you should be specifying.
I really do suggest using the website, not only for selecting the right type of flooring, but because there is also a wealth of information on there that you may not be aware of.
Don't forget though, here at Altro we still offer a personal service and will always be happy to discuss any specification queries individually, so don't hesitate to give us a call.