Slip Resistance in Wet areas (Updated)

  • August 10, 2016
  • Bruce Bromley
Slipped over in shower

Elderly falling in bathroom because slippery surfaces

As of the 1st of May 2014, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) introduced amendments to include specific requirements surrounding slip resistance for buildings.

These requirements were introduced to help enhance building designs to minimise the risk of slips to and within buildings and extended to ramps, stairways and landings.

Parts of buildings required to comply may be found under Part D2.10, D2.13 and D2.14 of Volume one & Part 3.9.1.4 of Volume Two with slip resistance materials to comply with AS4586 – 2013 (Slip Resistance Classification of new pedestrian surface materials).

 BCA SLIP-RESISTANCE CLASSIFICATION

Surface conditions
Application Dry Wet
Ramp steeper than 1:14 P4 or R11 P5 or R12
Ramp steeper than 1:20 but not steeper than 1:14 P3 or R10 P4 or R11
Tread or landing surface P3 or R10 P4 or R11
Nosing or landing edge strip P3 P4

Where the application of slip resistances occurs outside the BCA i.e. Bathroom floors, these are not actually regulated by the BCA. However, we do recommend that a best practice approach is considered when designing all buildings for accessibility.

For wet areas, including Ambulant and Unisex Sanitary facilities, we recommend adopting a slip resistance not less than that specified in the Standards Australia Handbook – Guide to the Specification and testing of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces (HB198), these include;

Surface conditions
Application Wet pendulum test Oil-wet inclined platform test
Bathroom Floors P3 R10 or B

 

It is also worth mentioning that while the new amendments regarding slip resistance were adopted by the BCA they did not extend to the Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards – 2010.