Walking surfaces should be safe, comfortable, durable, and fit for purpose. The incorrect flooring solution, or a poorly manufactured one, can create unnecessary hazards resulting in OH&S concerns for businesses. Workplace floorings, especially industrial floorings or those in high traffic or high risk environments, need to be designed considering the safety of all employees and visitors, taking into consideration the working environment and equipment loading.
This means when considering the flooring for commercial or industrial spaces, engineers and designers must factor in the type of workplace activities that will be conducted in the space and make informed decisions as to what flooring options will be the safest.
Important Criteria for Choosing Flooring Solutions
There are many things to consider when selecting grating floors and walkways, below are some of the top criteria to address when selecting flooring for working environments.
1. Slip Resistance
Floorings should provide reliable and safe walking surface. Depending on the environment additional slip resistance may be required to avoid falls and slips in the workplace. Workplace environments that are prone to water, oil, chemical, and other types of liquid spillages can create additional walking hazards and need to be considered.
Before specifying or selecting a flooring, be sure to check the slip resistance ratings and respective Australian Standard or National Construction Code guidelines to understand more about the requirements of non-slip flooring. If you’re not sure, speak with a Weldlok Access Products expert who can assist with the right solution.
Weldlok grating is available in different materials and finishes which provide increasing levels of slip-resistance. The right flooring solution could help minimise hazards and prevent future injuries and provide a safe and productive environment. Weldlok mild steel grating, aluminium grating and FRP are available in a range of slip resistant designs that will create a safe walkway for any industrial environment.
2. Chemical Resistance
Workplace flooring surfaces, especially in heavy manufacturing, should have high chemical resistance properties as they must withstand varying chemical spillage, grease, and mechanical traffic, often at extreme temperatures. Only a flooring with high chemical-resistant properties, such as stainless steel grating or fibreglass reinforced grating, can withstand chemical abrasions and wear and tear.
FRP flooring and serrated stainless steel flooring solutions from Weldlok are ideal for industrial walkways in corrosive environments as they can withstand chemical spills in industrial and manufacturing workplaces.
3. Durability
Industrial and commercial floorings must be durable and have high strength to weight ratio. It’s critical that flooring matched to the load requirements. All Weldlok grating and flooring are load tested and detailed in our brochures. All grating products are designed and tested to comply with AS1657:2018 including maximum span across various Loads not exceeding the allowable deflection.
Specific requirements of a workplace including the environment, hazards, loads, and lifetime use should be considered. For instance, a Weldlok® Series 30 grating is recommended for applications
requiring high load-carrying capacity making it an ideal flooring solution for environments exposed to heavy loads, such as warehouses and manufacturing units.
4. Stairways and Stair Treads
Stairways in industrial and manufacturing settings need to withstand frequent access use and load requirements. They must comply slip-resistance and chemical resistance requirements which may vary other areas across the floor. Additionally, depending on the application with stair treads may require a specific stair nosing, such as abrasive yellow safety nosing, for high visibility. The correct stair treat helps to reduce hazards when transitioning between floor levels. Weldlok’s stair treads are built to meet all Australian regulations for indoor and outdoor industrial and civil uses.
5. Aesthetics
The overall appearance of workplace flooring is more important than you think. Stainless steel gratings are some of the most visually pleasing grating types that also meet many of the other industrial flooring requirements – like serrated finish slip resistance and durability. Flooring solutions from Weldlok are designed to withstand the pressures of an industrial environment, while looking great for years to come.
Now that you know some of the important criteria for choosing a workplace flooring solution, here are the best workplace flooring solutions you need to know.
Best Floor Grating Solutions
When talking about flooring solutions, gratings are an important part of the commercial workplace and industrial facilities. There are many types of gratings ranging from the aluminium grating, fibreglass grating (FRP), and mild steel grating to stainless steel grating.
Aluminium, stainless steel and mild steel gratings are metal gratings, while fibreglass reinforced grate (FRP) is a composite material, commonly called plastic grating.
These floor gratings make excellent workplace floorings as they can be selected to meet the necessary requirements above, from hygiene, slip and corrosion resistance, durability, and moisture tolerance to aesthetics. Each material and grating size or finish has its own unique strengths, so understanding the difference between them helps to identify the right one to suit your flooring needs. Our team of Access Products experts at Weldlok can help to match a solution to your project too!
At Weldlok, we design and manufacture high-quality steel, aluminium, and FRP grates to the latest Australian standards. Grating profiles are available in various slip resistance ratings and are suitable for a wide range of industrial, civil, and commercial setups. Our grates can also be customised to meet your needs in high-quality workplace flooring and designs.
Need more information on floor gratings? Or need premium floor grating solutions? Contact us.