Implementing anti-slip flooring to boost safety

Anti-slip plywood can be used to improve safety in areas where there is a high level of pedestrian traffic.

The NSW Department of Education has recently selected Big River Group to supply anti-slip plywood at several school developments around the state.

An inner-city primary school is the latest of these projects to have been completed, and included the construction of a three-storey demountable classroom.

“The temporary structure will remain in place as part of a broader redevelopment set to complete in 2022, so ongoing safety standards was a key parameter in this design,” said Karlie Collis, Associate at Northrop Consulting Engineers and main administrator for this project.

“Kids love to run around having fun, meaning safety precautions against scraped knees or worse is always a top priority.

“More than 1500 m² of Big River Group’s Anti-Slip plywood was used for key pedestrian surfaces in this project alone, including all steps, landings, ramps and corridors,” said Jim Bindon, Managing Director of Big River Industries.

“As such, these areas now have the maximum rating of P5 (V) classification in the slip resistance testing in wet conditions and D1 in dry conditions.”

Other key design considerations were the need to complete the entire school on-site in five months, including extensive ground works.

“Big River Group Anti-Slip plywood is the most suitable product on the market, meeting the National Construction Code anti-slip requirements while being quick to install. Had we selected any other, we would have needed to apply a secondary non-slip treatment, which would have added time to the program we didn’t have,” Collis said.

The timber features a textured paint finish with crushed glass for maximum wear and slip resistance. The reverse side of the panel has a phenolic film for moisture protection in damp, wet and external areas.

It is also a suitable solution for construction sites and medical environments, in both permanent and temporary applications where safety is paramount.

Manufactured locally at Big River Group’s manufacturing site in Grafton, NSW, Anti-Slip plywood has a high-strength F17 structural plywood certification to Australian Standard AS2269. The product is available in range of sizes and thicknesses, as well as in custom-made size panels. It is available in three standard colours: safety yellow, black and grey.

Based on volume, customised colours can also be specially created to complement any decor and ensure that safety enhancements are seamlessly integrated into any unique interior environment. Anti-slip plywood can also be scarf jointed if larger sheets are required.

Image courtesy of Big River Group.