Part 2 — Safe design

About safe design

Safe design means building or making things, like buildings, tools, and machines, safely right from the start, by planning to prevent accidents, injuries, or illness.

Safe design is essential when providing safe entry, exit and movement for employees and others at the workplace. Consult with employees early in the safe design process to assist in identifying hazards.

Safe design can prevent workplace slips, trips, and falls by eliminating hazards during the design phase, when it’s easier and cheaper to remove or control hazards. This may include measures like installing slip-resistant flooring, ensuring adequate lighting and drainage, and designing level changes with consistent step heights and handrails. The cost of fixing a hazard once a project is complete can be very costly and time consuming.

Things to consider during the design of a building to reduce slips, trips and falls:

• Safe access to maintenance zones such as air conditioning, lighting and fire safety equipment.
• Reduce the need for trailing cords by adding sufficient power outlets.
• Select slip-resistant flooring and floor treatments, like anti-slip coatings with good traction, for areas where spills or wetness are likely.
• Consider designing workspaces with single-level floors to eliminate trip hazards.
• Make sure stairs and steps have uniform risers, consistent step height, and clear, slip-resistant treads.
• Install protective features like handrails on both sides of staircases and barriers, such as railings on balconies or decks, to prevent falls from height.
• Provide plenty of storage to keep tools, materials, and equipment off walkways, keeping them free of clutter.
• Design for hazard control by using markings, such as floor markings or signs, to clearly indicate changes in floor height or slippery areas. Use barriers to prevent access to high-risk areas, like wet floors during cleaning.

Support design

Ensure there is necessary support design at the workplace, so that employees feel empowered and equipped to perform their jobs effectively while maintaining their well-being.

This could include ensuring that employees are provided with:

• eliminating steps or uneven surfaces
• workplace layout
• storing supplies or product within the zone of best use
• suitable footwear when required as part of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• reporting mechanisms for employees to report health and safety issues
• training and supervision.

Workplace layout

Workplace layout is essential for preventing slips, trips and falls by ensuring clear, wide, and well-lit pathways, appropriate floor surfaces, and proper storage of materials. This can prevent obstructions and reduces hazards.

Good layout also includes designing safe entry and exit points, installing necessary safety features like handrails on stairs, and considering the needs of all employees, including those with disabilities.

Provide safe entry and exit points by:

• starting the design before any actual work commences at the workplace or site
• monitoring the project and noting any changes in work stages or work activities
• planning your work area to keep pathways clear for people and moving equipment, considering what tasks need to be done and what materials or tools need to be moved
• considering traffic management and hazardous manual tasks.

Ensure that you understand all work activities and have planned for any foreseeable hazards that might impact health and safety at a workplace.

For example, understand:

• current work activities and any anticipated changes
• expected type and amount of contamination
• who will be walking through the work area and what they will be doing, as well as any potential impacts such as weather events
• potential slips, trips and falls hazards — for example, employees and vehicles sharing the same accessways, steep or rocky terrain or a mix of employees and the public using the same area
• location of waste areas or bins, storage areas and parking or holding areas for plant or equipment — plan where the location of a pad for a tower crane or mobile equipment might be parked
• location of walkways on site and designate them, especially commonly used paths — for example, between the car park and entry to work areas, or around work zones.
• selecting suitable, easy to maintain, material to construct walkways that minimise hazards — ensure the material is appropriate for conditions such as rain and the type of equipment and plant that will be used on it.
• the need to, construct and maintain pedestrian accessways to ensure they are built to standards and are free of unexpected obstacles.
• the need for clear signage for walkways where possible
• minimizing people traffic through high-risk areas — safely separating accessways between pedestrian and vehicle or plant traffic
• the need for weatherproof designated delivery areas, storage and lay down areas and waste collection areas.

Floor surfaces

To help prevent slips, trips and falls on floor surfaces, ensure walkways are even and level, clean, dry, and free of obstacles — use appropriate slip-resistant footwear, and maintain good lighting.

There is a risk of slips, trips and falls when floor surfaces do not suit the work activity. Contaminants affect floor safety by increasing slip hazards, as even small amounts of water, oil, dust, or other debris reduce friction between the shoe and the floor surface.

Issues to consider when assessing floor surfaces for a potential slip risk:

• Does the floor surface provide enough grip for safe walking when dry?
• Does a wet floor surface have enough grip to walk on safely?
• What types and amounts of contaminants are likely to be on the floor?
• Is the cleaning program appropriate for the floor surface and any contamination?
• Is there a risk of falling when walking between different floor surfaces?

Floor surfaces may not provide enough grip for safe walking when:

• the surface has become slippery through wear and tear, age, damage or contamination
• the original floor surface, intended for a specific use, is no longer suitable for its current use
• the floor surface is not properly cleaned — a deep clean is often required to restore the flooring back to its initial level of grip — refer to manufacturers’ advice on cleaning for specific flooring.

Assessing floor surface for slip resistance

There are Australian Standards and a National Construction Code to assess floor surfaces for slip resistance or grip. Australian Standards include:

• AS 4586-2013 Slip resistance classification of new pedestrian surface materials provides standardised methods of testing the slip resistance of new pedestrian surfaces.
• AS 4663-2013 Slip resistant measurement of existing pedestrian surfaces provides standardised methods of testing the slip resistance of existing in situ pedestrian surface materials.

Slip resistance is a surface's ability to prevent slippage by providing enough grip to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls. This can be achieved through a textured or rough surface that enhances friction and grip. This quality is crucial for safety in various settings, particularly on floors and stairways. It is measured using standards like Australian Standard AS 4586-2013 and calculated by the Coefficient of Friction (COF).

Examples of surfaces with different coefficient of friction include:

• a coarse bitumen surface that has a high coefficient of friction — usually not slippery under general conditions and is likely to be safe for rapid walking
• an icy floor surface which will have a very low coefficient of friction — this surface is extremely slippery and requires extreme caution if walked on.

Employees, HSRs and other pedestrians may report slippery floor surfaces. These reports should be noted and considered when assessing floor surfaces for slip resistance.

Use of slip resistance measurements

When choosing flooring, make sure it's not too slippery by checking its rating against the Australian Standards and National Construction Code. You also need to regularly check that your floor remains safe and doesn't become slippery over time.

To ensure flooring is safe and less likely to cause slips, trips and falls, consider that slip resistance isn't just about the material itself — it's also affected by other factors like the wet or dry conditions, the type of activity, the footwear people wear, contamination, and how well the floor is cleaned. A proper safety approach involves considering all these factors together.

For example, an external ramp at a hospital was objectively assessed as slip resistant for the application of the relevant standard. However, there was an increased risk of slipping due to the combination of other factors. These included an uneven slope of the surface, regular exposure to rain, frequent pushing of heavy trolleys on the ramp, use of footwear with worn tread and lack of cleaning.

To create a safe work environment, employers need to assess potential risks by looking at things like how slippery the floors are and then manage all the factors that could cause accidents, making sure everything works together to prevent harm.

Suitable flooring

Choosing the right type of floor surface for a space, putting it in properly, cleaning it the right way, and keeping it clean regularly can make it much less likely that people will slip, trip, or fall.

When choosing a suitable floor surface, consider:

• the intended use or activity on the surface
• the environmental conditions
• likely contamination
• its performance under wet and dry conditions
• who will be walking over the surface.

Check that the floor surface is fit for purpose, including that:

• it meets required slip resistance — check the rating from the supplier
• the cleaning needed for the floor can be correctly done by cleaners
• it can be expected to be durable under normal use and care
• it does not cause other hazards, for example, pushing heavy trolleys on carpet
• it has a consistent level and grip surface, especially if different floor surfaces are used.

Treatments to improve grip or slip resistance of floor surfaces

Sometimes, parts of a floor can become less grippy over time, but they might not look different from the rest of the floor. This means people can step on these areas and suddenly slip because they don't expect them to be slippery. When fixing floors, make sure the new grip is similar to the rest of the floor so people don't slip unexpectedly.

To make flooring less slippery, you should consider how the area is used, its size, and the flooring type. These changes might mean you need to clean the flooring differently, and some applications need to be reapplied to keep working. You also need to check if the treatment affects the flooring's lifespan or meets special needs, such as keeping things clean for food or medical areas.

Strategies to reduce slip risks in more extreme environmental conditions

Walking and working in more extreme environments such as those with ice or condensation have a higher risk of slips, trips and falls. Examples include, working in freezers and cold rooms, using ice and iced products. Also when moving in areas with high humidity and condensation such as in kitchens, indoor pools or laundries.

Ways to reduce risks of slips, trips and falls include:

• providing necessary slip-resistant flooring
• wearing appropriate footwear
• preventing or reducing humidity
• maintaining plant and equipment to prevent leaks or spillage and checking door seals
• removing and managing ice build-ups
• alerting pedestrians of hazards with visible signage.

Trip hazards

If something is in the way that you might trip over, like a cable on the floor, and you don't see it coming, you're more likely to stumble and fall because your foot will unexpectedly hit it. The harder it is to spot a tripping hazard, the more likely you are to trip over it.

People are much more likely to trip if there's even a tiny difference – as little as 1 cm – in height between floors or walking surfaces, especially if they have trouble walking or staying balanced. For pedestrians with reduced mobility or balance, this can be even less.

This can happen with things like a small bump on the floor or a pallet blocking the way, which can be a sudden surprise and cause people to stumble.

Indoor trip hazards may be caused by:

• poor design or build, for example
  • an isolated or single step
  • fixtures protruding out from floor level such as a sliding door frame
  • inconsistent stair dimensions
• incomplete removal of items, for example, brackets and bolts from equipment
• poor maintenance, for example
  • loose or curling matting
  • torn carpet
  • uneven or broken concrete footpaths
  • chipped or cracked tiles
  • potholes
• lack of storage so that accessways are used as storage areas
• lack of services, for example
  • not enough waste bins – resulting in waste being left on the ground
  • not enough power points within range – resulting in trailing cables and cords.

Manage trip hazards. For example, by:

• eliminating potential trip hazards in the design stage of a site or building — for example, recessing or rebating structural trip hazards such as door frames on sliding doors and removing isolated or single steps
• removing all existing trip hazards — if unable to remove trip hazards or if maintenance can’t be carried out immediately, then place a barrier around the hazard
  • If there is a low risk of slips, trips and falls, highlight the hazard and provide enough lighting so people can easily see the hazard and have the chance to avoid it. If the path is blocked, provide an alternate safe and marked out route
• providing enough space for safe passage through work areas – for example, move items out of the walkway, so there is enough space for work activities and safe movement
• ensuring there is enough storage of all items for employees and others at the workplace to keep items off the walkways
• minimising trailing cables and other items off the floor – for example, install additional power outlets where needed, route cables overhead to keep them off the floor and encourage use of cordless tools
• providing enough waste bins where they are needed — empty bins before waste overflows onto the ground
• doing regular inspections and encouraging early reporting of hazards
• using a reliable system for regular monitoring and reviewing of
  • hazards and incidents
  • maintenance
  • cleaning programs.

Outdoor area and ground surfaces

Outdoor spaces can present additional hazards because things like rain, mud, wind, plants, and even how water is drained can make them slippery or uneven. If it's dark or hard to see, it's even easier to slip, trip, or fall outside. Cars can also make ruts in the paths, which adds to the problem.

Trip hazards may include:

• uneven paths or paving, rough ground or changes in the walkway level
• tree roots and vegetation, including seeds, that block walkways
• potholes in walkways
• grasses and other plants, especially when they can hide uneven ground,
• hollows or holes that remain after the removal of old fence posts or trees, for example, irregular surfaces such as bushy or rocky areas and stone paths
• drains or grate covers that have different surface heights or grip to the nearby walkway
• uncovered drains
• low lying objects in car parks
• tools and equipment such as power leads left in accessways
• exposed watering systems or hoses.

Slip hazards may include:

• contaminants on paths such as wet leaves, mud, moss, sand or gravel
• surfaces that become slippery when wet such as pebbles, tiles, drain covers, certain painted or sealed timber or sealed concrete
• sloping outdoor surfaces which increase the risk of slips compared to a level outdoor surface, for example, a sloped lawn compared to a level lawn.

Separate pedestrian and vehicle accessways to help prevent slips, trips and falls. This can eliminate dangerous interactions between moving vehicles and people, reducing the chance of collisions, and creating clear, hazard-free paths for pedestrians.

If it is not possible to separate pedestrian and vehicle accessways, as far as is reasonably practicable, consider:

• traffic management that minimises pedestrian, plant or vehicle interaction
• planning the design and materials for paths and driveways carefully from the start and during their lifespan to prevent damage by vehicles. Good design reduces the negative effects of vehicle movement, keeping the paths safe for pedestrians. For instance, avoid materials that easily rut from forklifts or form potholes when used by cars, like a soft surface meant only for walking
• risks caused by a combination of factors, such as a sloping shared accessway in slippery or wet conditions, which may result in vehicles colliding with pedestrians.

Additional ways to reduce slips, trips and falls in outdoor areas include:

• providing and maintaining a designated path for commonly used outdoor areas
• improving drainage of areas with pooling of water or muddy areas
• using a non-slip surface treatment on slippery walking surfaces such as drain covers
• installing suitable lighting in areas accessed outside of daylight hours
• choosing plants and trees for areas next to paths that do not create a tripping hazard by dropping things like seeds or sap, and that won't need their branches cut back often, so the path stays clear to see
• keeping paths safe and clear, trimming trees and hedges often. This makes sure there is space to walk without hitting branches, removes sap or seeds that could fall on the path, and keeps the view open by stopping low branches from blocking the way or distracting walkers
• ensuring regular cleaning of outdoor paths
• ensuring plants are watered when the least number of people are walking by, or if that's not possible, put up a barrier to stop people from walking through the wet area, and make sure there's another way for them to go around.

Stairs and ramps

Walking on stairs and ramps is harder because it uses more energy and requires more focus than walking on a flat path. You need to work your muscles more to move up and control your body as you go down, and you also have to pay closer attention to your footing to stay balanced and avoid falling.

People expect stairs and ramps to be consistent in height and slope and to be easy to see. Doing something else, like carrying a heavy load, makes it harder to walk safely. When stairs or ramps are poorly designed, they are more likely to cause people to trip, slip, and fall.

Hazards presented from poor stair design include:

• stair riser (height) and stair going (depth of tread) measurements that are not consistent or sufficient
• step nosing (leading edge or front of step) that is hard to see, rounded, damaged or slippery
• lack of handrails or handrails that are hard to reach or use.

Hazards presented from poor ramp design include:

• ramps that are too steep
• ramps with no handrails
• lighting that is insufficient to see edges clearly
• no edging or toe boards.

Features of well-designed steps and stairs include:

• Steps have consistent and sufficient depth and height for secure use.
• Step nosing (leading edge or front of steps) is clear to see and non-slip.
• Handrails are a suitable design and height, so they are continuous, with sufficient hand clearance, easy to grip, continue past the steps and are parallel to the ground or floor surface.

For ramps that may be used by people with mobility restrictions, specific design elements are required. To help reduce slips, trips and falls, ensure ramps are:

• designed with appropriate slope
• clearly marked start and finish
• fitted with a continuous handrail with sufficient hand clearance and easy to grip
• fitted with toe board or kickboard where required
• suited to the users, for example, walking unaided, using a wheelchair
• fitted with surfaces with greater grip than adjacent level areas.

Contain contaminants

When there is surface contamination on floor surfaces, the risk of slipping significantly increases. Appropriate footwear and flooring may help reduce slip hazards, but containing contaminants on floor surfaces is essential.

Examples of contaminants on floor surfaces include:

• water
• oil
• litter
• dust
• metal shavings
• plastic bags
• off-cuts
• anything that ends up on a walking surface.

Contamination can lead to a loss of grip between footwear and the walking surface.

Things like dirt, oil, or liquid from your job, cleaning supplies, or rain can make floors slippery and dangerous. The thicker and more of these slippery substances there are on the floor, the higher your chances of slipping and falling.

Ensure that the cleaning process is able to quickly respond to any floor surface contamination.

Planning for the weather is crucial to reduce contamination after a weather event.

The most effective approach to eliminating and controlling contamination involves good design to stop it from reaching the walking surface. If this is not possible, contain the spread of contamination on walking surfaces. Repair any leaky roofs as soon as possible to prevent further contamination.

If this spread cannot be stopped, clean it up as quickly as possible. Often a combination of these approaches will be more effective in controlling contamination.

Ensure floor surfaces are clear of contaminants by regular inspection, reporting, maintenance and cleaning systems. Keep the "caution: contaminated floor" signs visible until the area is clean and safe to walk on. Make sure the sign is placed where people can easily see it, like at the entrances to the area.

Stop contaminants from reaching the floor

Ways to stop contaminants from reaching the floor include:

• minimising rain on common outdoor walkways and entries with a canopy or awning, and integrating building entry mats with adequate capacity for expected rain
• modifying the work process or design of equipment, for example
  • channel overflow into drains
  • install doors leading from areas that generate excessive dust
  • install sufficient drainage to handle volume and type of waste fluids
• repairing and maintaining plant and equipment, for example, fixing a leak
• providing enough waste bins near the source of waste and make sure bins are emptied so that waste does not end up on the floor.

Contain spread of contaminants reaching the floor

Ways to contain the spread of contaminants include:

• containing the spill, for example
  • installing splashguards
  • providing drip trays under equipment
  • having a way to absorb liquids
  • placing absorbent matting at building entrances
• providing effective drainage systems such as installing additional drainage points at the source of contamination, for example, at wash down areas
• maintaining a clean and clear drainage system
• installing suitable flooring and grates for drainage, to allow safe walking for when the floor may be slippery.

Remove contamination quickly from the floor

Removing contaminants from floors is crucial to prevent slips, trips and falls because most floors only become slippery when contaminated with substances like water, oil, or dust, which reduce the friction needed for safe walking.

Plan ahead and ensure:

• weather planning
• responsive and effective cleaning systems.