What slip rating does my floor need? 10 commercial areas compared.
Recommended wet pendulum (P) ratings for the areas facility managers ask us about most, and what to do when a floor falls short.
By the team at Premrest · Updated
Most slip rating questions arrive the same way. Someone has gone over on a wet entry, or an auditor has asked for a test report, and the facility manager needs to know what number the floor is meant to hit. The answer depends on where the floor is, whether it gets wet and how steep it is.
In Australia, floors are tested on site to AS 4663:2013 and classified under AS 4586:2013. The wet pendulum test gives a P rating from P0 (very low slip resistance) to P5 (very high). The handbook most people use to decide what rating an area should have is SA HB 198:2014. It is guidance, not law, but it is the reference insurers, auditors and lawyers tend to reach for.
Here are the recommended minimums for ten common commercial areas, then a few notes on what they mean in practice.
| Area | Wet pendulum | Oil-wet ramp |
|---|---|---|
| Entry foyers and lift lobbies, wet | P3 | R10 |
| Entry foyers and lift lobbies, transitional | P2 | R9 |
| Entry foyers and lift lobbies, dry | P1 | R9 |
| External walkways, car parks, balconies, ramps up to 1:14 | P4 | R11 |
| External ramps steeper than 1:14 | P5 | R12 |
| Stair nosings and landings, dry / wet | P3 / P4 | R10 / R11 |
| Internal ramps up to 1:14, dry / wet | P3 / P4 | R11 |
| Toilets in offices, hotels and shopping centres | P3 | R10 |
| Commercial kitchens and covered loading docks | P5 | R12 |
| Food courts, fast food and shop entries | P3 | R10 |
| Hospital and aged care bathrooms and ensuites | P3 | B (barefoot) |
| Hospital and aged care wards and corridors | P2 | R9 |
| Undercover car parks | P3 | R10 |
Summary of the recommendations in SA HB 198:2014. Check the handbook and the National Construction Code for your building, as the NCC sets its own requirements for stairs and ramps.
1. Entry foyers and lift lobbies
Foyers are split into three zones. The first few metres inside the door get wet from shoes and umbrellas, so HB 198 recommends P3. The transitional zone beyond that is P2, and the dry interior is P1.
In office buildings this is often where the trouble is, and it is usually the polished stone or glazed tile at the front door that lets the building down. Good entry matting helps, but it doesn't change the rating of the floor underneath.
2. External walkways, car parks and balconies
External level surfaces and gentle ramps up to 1 in 14 should be P4. That includes colonnades, courtyards, pedestrian crossings, verandas, roof decks and external car parks.
Outdoor stone is a common failure. We treated a granite entry exposed to direct rain that tested at P1 to P2 against a required P3. After deep cleaning, honing and sealing it retested at P4.
3. External ramps steeper than 1 in 14
Steeper external ramps, sloping driveways and footpaths sit at the top of the scale: P5. Few smooth finishes get there without help, so these areas are often specified with textured surfaces from the start or treated afterwards.
4. Stairs and landings
The nosing is the part that matters, because that is where a foot lands. HB 198 recommends P3 for dry stairs and P4 where stairs get wet. Worn or polished nosings are also a trip hazard, which is a separate problem worth fixing at the same visit.
5. Internal ramps
Internal ramps up to 1 in 14 should be P3 when dry and P4 if they get wet, such as a ramp near an entry or a loading area.
6. Toilets in offices, hotels and shopping centres
Public and staff toilets are wet areas, so the recommendation is P3. Hotel apartment bathrooms and ensuites drop to P2, because they see far fewer people.
7. Commercial kitchens and loading docks
Kitchens and covered loading docks deal with water, grease and spills, and the recommendation is P5. Bar serving areas, cold stores and freezers sit at P4. These are the floors where cleaning chemistry matters most, because a greasy film can drop a good floor by a classification or more.
8. Food courts and shop entries
Food courts, buffet servery areas, fast food outlets, fresh produce areas and shop entries from outside are all P3. Supermarket aisles away from fresh food can be P1.
9. Hospitals and aged care
Bathrooms and ensuites in hospitals and aged care should be P3, with a barefoot classification of B on the ramp test. Wards and corridors are P2. For more on choosing floors for these settings, see our guide to flooring for aged care.
10. Undercover car parks
Undercover car parks are P3, one step below open car parks because they get less rain. Ramps between levels follow the ramp recommendations above.
A rating is not permanent. A floor that tested well at handover can lose a classification after a few years of foot traffic, the wrong cleaning product or a build-up of residue. That's why most of our clients re-test on a schedule rather than once.
If a floor falls short, there are usually a few ways to fix it. Sometimes a deep clean to remove residue is enough. Other floors need a non-slip coating or a tile etching treatment, and some need a different finish altogether. We test, recommend what suits the surface and re-test afterwards, rather than picking a product first. See slip testing and slip rectification for how that works.
Book a slip test.
Tell us about the site and the areas you're worried about. We'll confirm the scope and send a quote for testing and, if needed, rectification.
Prefer to talk?
Call 1300 207 915 · Text 0480 855 665
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Common questions
Is HB 198 a legal requirement?
No. SA HB 198:2014 is a handbook that gives recommendations. The legal duties come from work health and safety law and, for new work, the National Construction Code. In practice HB 198 is the benchmark most people use to judge whether a floor is reasonable for its use.
What is the difference between a P rating and an R rating?
P ratings come from the wet pendulum test, which can be done on site on an installed floor. R ratings come from the oil-wet inclining platform (ramp) test, which is a laboratory test on a sample. Existing floors are usually assessed with the pendulum.
How often should we slip test?
It depends on traffic, how the floor is cleaned and the risk of the area. Many sites test entries and wet areas annually, and after any change to the floor or its cleaning. We can schedule testing as part of a periodical program.
Our floor failed. Do we have to replace it?
Not always. Residue removal, a non-slip coating or tile etching can bring many floors back into range. We assess the surface first and re-test after treatment so you have evidence the fix worked.