Built environment specifiers should reconsider approaches to safety flooring when designing for interiors, says global flooring company Tarkett. The traditional look and feel of safety flooring often requires specifiers to compromise on desired aesthetics. But thanks to next generation transparent particles, Tarkett’s Safetred Design collections create limitless options for interiors while ensuring the same safety performance. Developed with architects, designers and end users in mind, the Safetred Design collections offer a wide range of surface visuals and colours to choose from, including beautiful wood grain, a welcoming textile line and the realism of natural stone, making it possible to create an ‘at home’ environment everywhere. Challenging the ‘institutional’ look and feel of safety floors Traditional safety flooring has a ‘speckled’ appearance – these black specks are very hard particles called silicon carbide, which ensure that slip resistance does not diminish over time. From a visual point of view, this is often a source of frustration for architects and designers, as it means placing limits on creativity. To address this, Tarkett’s Safetred Design ranges use a transparent particle called aluminium oxide, which has the same resistance properties but is invisible. This product innovation allows Tarkett to offer a wide selection of designs without neglecting safety: the result is a proven, sustainably slip resistant floor which meets the requirements of the manufacturing standard, EN 13845. Designed for wellbeing The UK has some of the most stringent rules and regulations around safety. Slips and trips may well be the number one risk when it comes to injuries – so the importance of choosing a proven, durable slip resistant floor cannot be underestimated. With a wide range of wood, natural or colourful patterns on offer, Safetred Design allows specifiers to design flooring combinations that create inspiring and beautiful environments while also reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls. This is flooring designed with wellbeing in mind: free from phthalates and with ‘undetectable’ levels of VOC emissions. Closing the loop The products created for the collections are not only beautiful on the outside but beautiful on the inside. Traditionally, safety floors have been problematic in terms of recycling due to the nature of the aluminium oxide or carborundum inherent in them, however the ReStartÒ programme is able to extract these particles for down-cycling so more of the product can be utilised. Safetred is produced using up to 40% of recycled content, and can be recycled via the Tarkett ReStartÒ programme. To download the new Safetred Design brochure or book an appointment to find out more, visit Tarkett’s website.
