Creating Safe and Slip-Resistant Commercial Concrete Surfaces

As a business owner, facility manager, or commercial property owner, slips and falls can pose a serious risk to the safety of your employees, customers, and visitors. It's crucial to take measures to prevent these accidents from happening. One effective way to do this is to create a safe surface using a non slip concrete coating. Slip-resistant concrete floors are essential for preventing accidents that can result in injuries and even lawsuits. By ensuring that your floors are slip-resistant, you can help keep everyone who enters your premises safe.

Slips occur when there is too little friction between the bottom of a person’s foot and the surface of the concrete floor. The amount of direct contact is very important.

The most common measure of the relative slipperiness of a floor is its slip resistance or coefficient of friction. This scale ranges from zero to one, in increments of tenths of a point, with zero representing the least amount of slip resistance.

In addition to the surface of the concrete itself, you need to look at the sealer you choose. While concrete hardeners/densifiers won’t have much impact on the concrete because they penetrate the surface, a topical coating may alter the slip resistance. There are several additives on the market that can be used to increase the slip resistance of a concrete floor. Some are used directly on the concrete, and others can be mixed with or broadcast on top of the sealer.

An example of an additive that we offer is Diama-Aggregate Traction Additive. DiamaPro® Systems Diama-Aggregate is a proprietary blend of extremely hard, angular aggregate to enhance the slip resistance of the chosen concrete floor coating. This is a great example of how to make a concrete sealer nonslip. Furthermore, the aggregate's shape allows the resin to lock it in place, increasing its service life. Proven to help nonslip concrete coatings in the following areas:

• Wash Bays
• Freezers/coolers
• Slaughter areas
• Ramps / Treads
• Food preparation /processing

Creating a non slip concrete coating surface is essential for the safety of people who use the area. Here are some important factors to consider when selecting a non-slip solution for your commercial concrete surfaces:

• Foot traffic: The amount and type of foot traffic that a concrete surface will experience is an important factor to consider when selecting a solution for how to make concrete non slip. Areas with high foot traffic require a more durable and slip-resistant coating or additive.
• Weather conditions: Weather conditions such as rain, snow, and ice can make concrete surfaces slippery and dangerous. Therefore, it's important to select a non-slip solution that is resistant to weather conditions and provides adequate slip resistance even when the surface is wet.
• Usage requirements: The usage requirements of the commercial concrete surface also play an important role in the selection of a non-slip solution. For example, industrial areas may require a coating or additive that is resistant to chemicals and oils, while retail areas may require a non-slip solution that is aesthetically pleasing.

If you checked yes to any of the above factors, see below for the features and benefits of DiamaPro’s UV-HS Plus coating:

• Extraordinarily durable
• Chemical and stain resistant
• Microban Antimicrobial Technology
• UV-cured urethane
• Protects from physical, chemical, and microbial attack and wear
• Proven in commercial, industrial, retail, and institutional flooring
• Can withstand heavy forklift and foot traffic
• Protects from petroleum and chemical spills, and caustic and acidic agents
• Diama-Aggregate Traction Additive can be broadcasted by hand into the final coat of UV-HS Plus developing the highest level of additional traction with the selected mesh size.

When selecting non-slip sealants and topcoats, knowing how to make concrete sealer non slip is essential to choose a product that has a durable bonding agent and an aggregate that can withstand environmental conditions. Additionally, it's important to continually monitor the effectiveness of these products after installation to maintain their non-slip properties.

Looking at a case study that highlights the importance of a nonslip coating in a medical setting published on the DiamaPro Systems Website:

Administrators at Cape Coral Hospital, a part of the Lee Memorial Health System, recently decided to resurface an exterior concrete ramp from its basement pathology and morgue area to amend a recurring slipping problem… These conditions were posing safety threats to hospital personnel, as well as cost issues for the healthcare system… Minimal downtime was a must during the repair and coating of the 250sq.ft. ramp. As the only means of egress, the ramp was frequently used for gurney traffic and an actual shutdown period wasn’t possible. Appropriate repairs were made to the heavily traveled ramp and the substrate was pretreated with DiamaPro Moisture Control. When the preparation was complete, DiamaPro UV matte coating was applied…During the final coating, 80-grit aluminum oxide was broadcast to increase slip resistance…and an even heavier concentrate of aluminum oxide was applied several days later to increase slip resistance at the hospital’s request…Facility managers at Coral Cape are completely satisfied with the refurbished surface.

Ensure the safety of everyone who enters your building by taking a look at our products designed to help make concrete floors non-slip. Our non-slip coatings and anti-slip sealants are specifically designed to provide superior slip resistance on concrete floors, creating a safer and more secure environment. Non-slip concrete floor coatings improve aesthetics by adding more shine and protecting the flooring materials used to lengthen your concrete floors’ life.