Access for the Infirm – It’s Not Just About Wheelchairs

Since the turn of the century, all buildings to which the public has access have been required to provide disability access. Clearly, though, managers of aged care and other facilities whose users are likely to be infirm have a particular duty to ensure that all their pedestrian surfaces, as well as being hygienic and easily maintained, meet the highest standards of slip-resistance. As Australia’s population continues to age, so the responsibility to provide safe footage for the infirm will extend.

Many care facilities have pedestrian surfaces were laid some years ago, under slip-resistance standards which have since been updated. The earlier standards failed to deal adequately with the properties of materials when wet – a foreseeable occurrence at many care facilities. In 2014, a new set of standards was introduced:

• New pedestrian surfaces must now comply with AS 4586.
• Existing surfaces must meet AS 4663.

These standards prescribe a wet-pendulum test, which is best-performed by a NATA-accredited testing service. Should an existing surface fail to meet AS4663, it must be replaced with one that meets AS4586.

Wespray On provides an attractive solution to the flooring needs of facilities used by the infirm. It’s a sprayed on cementitious surface, finished with a UV-resistant sealer coat. The surface is widely used in public areas, and meets the new slip-resistance standards with ease. Decorative markings and signage can be embedded in the surface, and a range of colours is available.

If you think Wespray On might be the solution for the building you manage, send us a contact request here.