Enhancing Stair & Floor Safety for Sports & Recreational Facilities

Why is floor and stair safety so important?

Aside from facilitating smooth traffic flow, floor and stair safety is an essential requirement to prevent fall/slip-related injuries and accidents from occurring – a costly mishap that can be effectively minimised during the project development stages.

Kardinia Park (Simonds Stadium)

Some of the most common incidents involving pedestrians occur at the following locations:

Public Entrances

Sports and recreational facility or other, main entrances endure high traffic of people leaving and entering, escalating the risk of falls, trips and slips. The tracking of dirt, debris, sand particles and moisture not only exacerbates the problem but can also cause the deterioration of your interior flooring surface.

The Classic solution – Commercial entrance mats:

By installing commercial entrance matting, you can improve your entryway safety and mitigate the risk of potential accidents. Effectively trapping dirt, debris and moisture, our entrance mats will also work hard to maximise the lifespan of your flooring and reduce maintenance costs.

Public Stairways

Did you know that falls on stairs account for over 60% of slip, trip and fall deaths in buildings? A result of complex interacting factors, including poor stair design and construction principles, the installation of visual cues is critical for helping people coordinate their gait during ascent and descent. This is particularly important for the vision impaired and in poor lighting or wet conditions where there is an increased risk of a misstep.

The Classic solution – Stair nosings:

To meet best practice, high visibility, anti-slip stair nosings with a luminance contrast greater than 30% should be installed at the very edge of the stairs, alongside handrails. Spanning an optimal width of 50-75mm, the stair tread nosing will assist people to negotiate the stairs safely by clearly delineating the step edge.

Stairways, Escalators & Ramps

While we’ve discussed the safety risk of stairways above, escalators being moving structures can pose an added risk. Particularly for the vision impaired, it is important that all pedestrians can clearly determine where the escalator begins and ends. On the other hand, ramps result in a sudden change in incline which can be quite disconcerting to the vision impaired if not forewarned beforehand.

The Classic solution – Tactile ground surface indicators (TGSIs):

While everyday pedestrians may overlook tactile ground indicators, they are a crucial requirement for the visually impaired. Warning tactiles alert to the presence of potential hazards and directional tactiles assist with orientation guidance for a continuous path of travel. Together, these tactile indicators empower visually impaired pedestrians to independently navigate public environments with confidence.

There are also strict, mandatory Australian Safety Standards in place for entrance matting, stair nosing and tactile indicators in all public access areas. You can refer to AS 1428.1:2009 and AS1428.4.1:2009 for the specific requirements, otherwise our team can also consult and supply your project to ensure complete compliance.

Past projects with a stair and floor safety-first focus

Classic offers architecturally designed public access solutions to ensure floor and stair safety for all. For your inspiration, see our most recent safety-first projects below.

HOTA Gallery, Surfers Paradise, QLD

HOTA Gallery – Image Credit: Architecture AU

One of our most exciting collaborations, HOTA Gallery is Surfers Paradise’s brand new, must-see cultural destination. Now open to the public, the iconic space spans six levels with over 2000 square metres of international standard exhibition space.

We were proud to supply and install our Classic Integra Vantt 5500 entrance matting, Classic Tredfx BH10N and Classic Tredfx SH10N tactile indicators.

Cairns Convention Centre, QLD

Cairns Convention Centre – Image Credit: Cox Architecture

A sprawling 10,500 square metre expansion, the multi-million-dollar refurbishment of the Cairns Convention Centre was an investment to safeguard local jobs, support the tourism industry and rebuild the economy.

Classic’s floor and safety products were featured throughout, we supplied our

Classic Integra Vantt 5500 entrance matting,

Classic Tredfx Stainless Steel Tactile Indicators and

Classic Tredfx Aluminium Stair Nosing.

VRC Flemington Racecourse, VIC

VRC Flemington Racecourse

Setting a new benchmark for racecourse facilities, the VRC Flemington Racecourse’s iconic five-level Club Stand generated an estimated 350 full-time equivalent jobs, with peak workforce of 435 workers on-site over its 18-month construction.

Classic was called upon to supply and install our tactile indicators throughout the space, maximising the public’s floor and stair safety.

The Gabba Brisbane, QLD

The Gabba Brisbane – Image Credit: AUSTADIUMS

The home ground for the Brisbane Lions, Brisbane Heat and Queensland Bulls, The Gabba Brisbane is a true icon of the Brisbane landscape.

Complementing the bold, sophisticated entrance, Classic was engaged to supply our Vantt 7500 entrance matting, engineered to keep people safe and maintain a clean environment.

Sydney Cricket Ground, NSW

Sydney Cricket Ground

Hosting nearly 100 sports and concert events and attracting more than 1.5 million visitors each year, Sydney Cricket Ground is Sydney’s central sports precinct of international standing.

Designed to withstand the high volume of traffic while offering premium performance in terms of dirt and moisture removal, Classic was in charge of supplying and installing Classic Integra Vantt 5500 entrance matting and Integra INFR10 entrance mat framing.

To view our past projects by application, be sure to click below:

Entrance Matting Projects | Stair Nosing Projects | Tactile Indicators Projects

Supplying entrance matting, tactiles and stair nosing Australia-wide

With safety and access being the key focus in public spaces, Classic Architectural Group is the trusted name for commercial entrance matting, tactile indicators and stair nosing in Australia. We have offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with representatives in the other states, supplying your projects with innovative solutions that are versatile in design, colours and application.

Building on an enduring commitment to quality and service, our team can also ensure that your project complies with all safety standards and compliance checks. Our expertise extends beyond floor and stair safety for sports and recreational facilities, covering all areas including commercial, education, FMCG & retail, healthcare, hospitality and residential.

From consultation and supply to installation and maintenance, you’ll always have certainty of supply with us. If another supplier lets you down, you can trust us to step in and get you back on track – that’s our guarantee!

To learn more about our public access solutions, please contact our team by calling 1300 244 377 today.