Decking can be an attractive addition to any outdoor area, including restaurant terraces and public gardens for example. However, if you have a decking area on your premises, you will most likely be well aware that they can become very slippery when wet and cause a slip hazard. So that you don't fall foul of health and safety regulations, you must ensure you have measures in place to keep your decking area free of slips, trips and falls.
There are a number of solutions out there to help prevent slippery decking, these include:
- Non slip coatings or treatments
- Replacing timber decking with anti slip decking
- Frequent cleaning to ensure there is no build up of algae
The solution we recommend, which will keep your decking slip free all year round, is to put down some anti-slip matting. When selecting anti-slip matting, there are a number of things you need to take into consideration:
Do the mats have drainage?
If your decking is a relatively flat surface, you will need to ensure the matting has drainage holes, so that water does not just sit on the surface of the mat. Drainage holes will allow the water and dirt to fall beneath the standing surface of the mat, ensuring the anti-slip surface of the mat is not compromised.
Creating a walkway or path
Covering your whole decking area with anti-slip matting would defeat the object of why it is there in the first place, as an attractive area of outdoor space. Therefore a better (and cheaper) option is to just have a walkway or a path of non-slip matting for your visitors to use, to prevent slips in areas of high footfall.
This can be achieved by using roll mats, which can be taken up during drier periods, or for cleaning and storage.
Bare feet
Will anybody be walking on your decking in bare feet? Perhaps you have decking around an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi or hot tub? If so, you need to be sure that the non-slip matting you use is comfortable to walk on without shoes. So called ‘bare foot wet area matting’ is made especially for this purpose.
For more information, read our blog on how to keep your swimming pool safe.
Are the mats weather-proof?
As the matting is going to be placed outside, it needs to be resistant to all kinds of weather, to ensure that it keeps on performing during inclement weather and for many years to come.
Make sure that you don’t choose a fabric topped mat, as this will become sodden in rainy conditions and can harbor algae, creating a slip hazard in itself. Secondly, if you choose a coloured mat, ensure that it is resistant to UV rays to ensure that the colour does not fade.
Need some help choosing the right mats?
We understand that sometimes choosing the right mat for your needs can be a difficult task. Our team of matting experts are here to help you find the right mat for your needs. Simply call us on 0121 313 6748 during normal UK office hours or email us at sales@mats4u.co.uk.
