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.
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