Anti-slip
The best solution to prevent slips and falls
Safety and non-slip surfaces
It is relatively simple to measure a floor´s safety level. A floor is safe for anyone to walk on, as long as its coefficient of friction complies with the minimum values for dry conditions and, in particular, humid conditions.
The coefficient of friction is the resistance offered by a body sliding along a surface. The higher this resistance, the safer the floor, for example, whilst we are walking or running, our feet "grip" the surface of the floor. If there is a high level of grip, the possibility of slipping or falling is minimal, and viceversa, if there is little "grip", the probability of slipping over is at its highest.
For that reason, it is almost impossible to walk or run on ice (minimum friction), whilst on an athletics track or on tarmac, we can quite easily run, jump or walk without the risk of slipping up.
Floor safety by numbers: statistics from the USA
In the year 2003, 1.6 million elderly people received emergency treatment in hospitals due to injuries caused by falling over. Of those, 353,000 were actually admitted to hospital.
Accidents caused by slips and falls are the second highest cause of tetraplegia.
Over 50% of falls in swimming pools are caused by slipping.
Según el National Safety Council, resbalones y caidas son la causa más grande de visita en los cuartos de urgencia de los hospitales.
Each year, insurance companies spend over 4,000 million dollars on claims due to slips and falls.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), approved by the United States Congress 13 years ago (1992), states that: in all commercial establishments open to the public, the coefficient of friction recommended for floors and areas used by pedestrians must be 0.60 (ASTM measurement standards) and 0.80 for ramps. There are heavy fines for those that do not comply with these provisions and tax benefits for those that do.
Floors treated with PISAFIRM provide greater safety, as their surfaces are permanently modified, increasing their coefficient of friction by up to four times its original value.