How Can I Make My Workshop Floor More Slip-Proof?

Slips are a major hazard in many workshops. According to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers need to ensure the health and safety of all employees and anyone affected by their work, so far as is reasonably practicable. Making your workshop floor slip-proof is therefore one of the first things you can do to ensure employee and equipment safety. How can you improve its anti-slip properties?

1) Invest In The Right Paint

The key to slip proofing your workshop floor is choosing the right paint. Depending on the surface material, you may need a paint with anti-slip properties. By contacting the paint manufacturer or provider, you can get professional advice as to which paint suits your floor the best.

2) Maintain The Coating

Even the best anti-slip paint loses its beneficial properties quickly if you don’t maintain it on a regular basis. Even though paint can be resistant to chemical and oil spills, you still need to remove spillages as soon as possible. Without regular cleaning, harmful agents sink into the paint and damage the surface, eventually robbing the coating of its anti-slip properties.

3) Professional Application

When applying floor paint it is easy to make mistakes that negate the beneficial properties of the coating. Starting with inadequate surface preparation before painting and ending with not following the drying recommendations, it’s easy to turn high quality paint into a useless waste of money. If you want to be confident that your floor is as safe for employees and visitors as possible, hire professionals to do the painting.

4) Add Sealers With Additives

If you want to make your floor more slip-resistant, consider investing in sealers with grit additives. You can add extra coatings to areas with heavy traffic in your workshop, or to areas most susceptible to spills. You can get information about the available additives from your paint supplier or manufacturer.

5) Use Non-Slip Tape

A special non-slip tape can provide additional slip-resistance for small areas which you aren’t ready to paint just yet. Staircases and ramps can be covered by this tape to ensure employee safety. Even though such tape can also be used on workshop floors, it’s not reasonable to apply it to large areas. The downside of such tape is that it doesn’t last long. However, it’s an excellent “quick fix” solution e.g. for outdoor staircases in wet weather.

6) Rubber Mats

Another quick solution for improved slip resistance is strategically placed rubber mats. These can be placed in the most dangerous areas to improve overall safety. However, using anti-slip paint is still a better and longer lasting solution.

Important

Please note like any painted surface once wet can be slippery even with a non-slip coating. At TA Paints, we have a wide selection of anti-slip paints and additives suitable for workshop floors. Give us a call to get a quick quote today. For more information about efficient and time saving floor painting techniques, please download our free e-book; The Ultimate Floor Paint Guide. Image source: Pixabay