Slips in the Bathroom
Why Anti-Slip Protection Matters
A recent discussion on the Jeremy Vine radio programme highlighted an everyday danger that is easily overlooked – slipping in the bathroom.
Bathrooms, showers and baths are designed around water, but the combination of water, soap, shampoo and smooth surfaces can quickly create a slip hazard. One moment you are stepping into the shower and the next a simple loss of footing can result in a painful and potentially serious injury.
It raises an important question: what can we do to make bathrooms and showers safer?
How common are bathroom slips and falls?
Slips and falls in bathrooms aren't simply a minor inconvenience.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), falls are the single biggest cause of accidental injury in the home. RoSPA reported almost 450,000 A&E attendances in England in 2023 as a result of falls.
Bathroom-specific research published by RoSPA has also estimated that bathroom falls result in more than 54,000 visits to A&E each year, with around 4,000 leading to hospital admission.
The consequences can range from bruising and cuts to broken bones, hip injuries and other serious injuries.
For older or less mobile people, the consequences of a bathroom fall can be particularly severe.
Why are shower trays and baths so slippery?
Modern bathrooms often feature smooth, attractive surfaces including:
Acrylic and ABS shower trays
Gel coat shower trays
Ceramic tiles
Baths
Natural stone
Vinyl flooring
These surfaces may look fantastic, but when water, soap or shampoo is introduced, grip can be significantly reduced.
This is why bathroom slip prevention should be considered when designing, refurbishing or maintaining bathrooms – particularly in hotels, care homes, housing developments and other environments where many different people use the facilities.
How can you make a slippery shower tray safer?
One solution is to apply a specialist anti-slip coating to the shower tray or bath.
Clear Grip Anti-Slip is designed to create a fine textured surface that improves grip without the need to replace the existing shower tray, bath or flooring.
Unlike acid-etching treatments that chemically attack the existing surface, Clear Grip is a non-etching anti-slip coating. It forms a protective textured coating over the existing substrate.
This makes it particularly suitable for businesses and homeowners looking for an effective way to improve bathroom and shower slip resistance while retaining the appearance of the existing surface.
Anti-slip protection without ruining your bathroom
One concern people often have when considering a non-slip shower tray treatment is what the bathroom will look like afterwards.
Clear Grip has been developed as a clear/opaque anti-slip coating with a fine, rounded texture. Rather than dramatically changing the appearance of the shower tray or bath, the aim is to maintain the premium appearance while providing additional grip underfoot.
Our philosophy is simple:
Designed to grip you – not the dirt.
The rounded texture also helps make the treated surface easier to maintain than aggressive, sharp-textured anti-slip surfaces.
Water-based, VOC-free anti-slip technology
Clear Grip Anti-Slip is water-based, VOC-free and non-flammable, making it a practical choice for use in bathrooms, showers and other wet areas.
It is suitable for a range of surfaces including shower trays, bathtubs, tiles, natural stone, vinyl and concrete.
The coating is also UV resistant and, because it is non-etching, it seals and protects the underlying surface rather than chemically attacking it.
Tested slip resistance
When you're choosing an anti-slip coating for a bathroom or shower, performance matters.
Clear Grip Anti-Slip has achieved Class C / R12 slip resistance classification under DIN 16165 and a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) of 44 to BS 7976.
This provides measurable slip-resistance performance rather than simply describing a surface as "non-slip".
Particularly important for hotels and care homes
Bathroom slip prevention is important in any property, but the risks deserve particular attention in environments such as:
Hotels and hospitality – Guests are unfamiliar with the bathroom and may not know how slippery a particular shower tray or bath becomes when wet.
Care homes and assisted living – Older people can be more vulnerable to falls and the resulting injuries. RoSPA reports that falls are the largest cause of accidental death among people aged over 65.
Housing associations and landlords – Improving slip resistance can form part of a wider approach to providing safer bathrooms for residents.
Sports and leisure facilities – Showers and changing areas experience high levels of water and foot traffic, increasing the importance of effective wet-floor safety.
Do you need to replace a slippery shower tray?
Not necessarily.
If a shower tray, bath or tiled area is otherwise in good condition, replacing it purely because the surface is slippery can be expensive and disruptive.
A specialist anti-slip shower tray coating can provide an alternative.
Clear Grip can be applied directly to suitable existing surfaces, avoiding the disruption associated with removing a shower tray or bath.
Once applied, the coating is ready for use after approximately 12 hours, helping minimise bathroom downtime.
A small slip can have serious consequences
The recent discussion around bathroom falls is a useful reminder that something as ordinary as stepping into a shower can result in a serious accident.
RoSPA's figures demonstrate the wider scale of the problem. Falls are responsible for hundreds of thousands of A&E attendances every year, while bathroom falls alone account for tens of thousands.
Preventing every accident may be impossible, but reducing avoidable slip risks in bathrooms, showers and wet areas is achievable.
Whether you're responsible for a home, hotel, care facility, rental property or commercial washroom, assessing the slip resistance of wet surfaces is a sensible place to start.
Make Your Shower, Bath or Bathroom Safer
If you have a slippery shower tray, slippery bath or bathroom floor, Clear Grip Anti-Slip provides a simple way to improve the slip resistance of the existing surface.
Clear Grip Anti-Slip
Clear/opaque finish
Fine rounded anti-slip texture
Water-based
VOC-free
Non-etching
UV resistant
Class C / R12
PTV 44
Suitable for shower trays, baths, tiles and other surfaces
Ready for use after approximately 12 hours
Up to 5-year adhesion guarantee
Reduce Slip Risk • Reduce Injuries • Reduce Claims
Find out more about Clear Grip Anti-Slip and how it can help make bathrooms, showers and wet areas safer.
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