Slips and falls are an important safety consideration for care homes, particularly in areas where water is regularly present. Bathrooms, shower rooms, wet rooms, entrances and communal areas can all become slippery and require careful management.

For care home operators and facilities managers, the challenge is not simply identifying slippery surfaces. It is finding a practical way to improve slip resistance while maintaining cleanliness, comfort and the appearance of the existing environment.

In this guide, we look at some of the ways care homes can reduce slip risks and how anti-slip coatings can help.

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Why Are Slips a Particular Concern in Care Homes?

Many everyday surfaces provide adequate grip when dry but become significantly more slippery when wet or contaminated.

In a care home, common problem areas can include:

• Shower trays

• Baths

• Bathroom floor tiles

• Wet rooms

• Communal bathrooms

• Changing areas

• Entrances

• Corridors

• Kitchens and dining areas

• Steps and stairs

• Outdoor walkways

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Water is an obvious cause, but soap, shampoo, cleaning products, spilled drinks and moisture carried in from outside can also reduce the amount of grip available.

Identifying these areas and taking appropriate action can help create a safer environment for residents, staff and visitors.

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1. Identify Areas Where Slips Are Most Likely

The first step should be to identify where slip hazards exist.

Look beyond obvious areas such as showers and baths.

An entrance with smooth tiles, for example, may perform perfectly well during dry weather but become slippery when people walk in with wet shoes.

Likewise, bathroom flooring may feel secure when dry but offer considerably less grip once water and soap are introduced.

Particular attention should therefore be given to surfaces that are regularly exposed to water, cleaning products or other contaminants.

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2. Don't Overlook Shower Trays and Baths

Shower trays and baths deserve particular attention.

Smooth surfaces combined with water, soap and shampoo can create conditions where additional slip resistance is beneficial.

One solution is to replace the shower tray or bath with a specialist slip-resistant alternative. However, replacing otherwise serviceable bathroom equipment across multiple rooms can be expensive and disruptive.

An alternative is to apply a suitable anti-slip coating to the existing shower tray or bath.

Clear Grip Anti-Slip Coating, for example, can be applied to many common bathroom surfaces including acrylic, ABS, gel coat, ceramic and tiles.

This allows the existing bathroom to be retained while improving the slip resistance of the treated surface.

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3. Improve the Slip Resistance of Bathroom Tiles

Bathroom tiles are another common area requiring attention.

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are popular because they are durable, attractive and easy to maintain. However, some smooth tiles can become considerably more slippery when wet.

A clear anti-slip coating for bathroom tiles provides a way of adding slip resistance without necessarily replacing the existing flooring.

Clear Grip creates a fine textured surface while allowing the original colour and appearance of the tile to remain visible.

This can be particularly useful in established care facilities where replacing tiled floors would result in unnecessary disruption.

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4. Consider Non-Etching Anti-Slip Treatments

There are different ways of making an existing floor more slip resistant.

Some anti-slip treatments use acidic chemicals to etch the existing surface and create additional texture.

Clear Grip takes a different approach.

It is a non-etching anti-slip coating that adheres to the existing surface rather than relying on chemically attacking it.

This can be advantageous where care home operators want to improve slip resistance while retaining and protecting the existing surface.

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5. Consider Cleaning as Well as Grip

Increasing slip resistance shouldn't mean creating a surface that is unnecessarily difficult to keep clean.

This is particularly important in care environments where effective cleaning and hygiene procedures are essential.

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Very aggressive textures can provide high levels of grip but may also create areas where dirt and contaminants can accumulate.

Clear Grip uses a fine rounded texture designed to grip the user rather than the dirt.

The aim is to provide a practical balance between slip resistance, comfort and everyday cleanability.

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6. Pay Attention to Entrances and Communal Areas

Care home slip prevention shouldn't stop at the bathroom door.

Entrance areas can become slippery during wet weather as water is carried indoors on footwear.

Communal areas, dining rooms, corridors and other frequently used spaces may also contain smooth flooring that requires attention.

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A proper assessment should therefore consider the whole building and how each area is used, rather than focusing exclusively on bathrooms.

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7. Choose a Tested Anti-Slip Solution

When selecting an anti-slip coating or floor treatment, look beyond claims such as simply "non-slip".

Understanding how the product has been tested provides much more useful information.

Clear Grip provides:

R12 / Class C slip resistance

It is also:

• Water-based

• VOC-free

• Non-etching

• Clear

• UV resistant

• Comfortable underfoot

• Easy to clean

• Suitable for many different surfaces

• Backed by an adhesion guarantee of up to 5 years

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Reducing Disruption in an Operational Care Home

Any maintenance work within a care home needs to take residents and day-to-day operations into consideration.

Removing floors, replacing tiles or changing numerous shower trays can involve significant cost, noise, waste and disruption.

Treating an existing suitable surface can therefore provide a practical alternative.

Clear Grip can be applied directly to properly prepared surfaces, allowing existing tiles, baths and shower trays to remain in place.

For organisations with multiple bathrooms or larger areas to treat, different kit sizes also allow the coating to be used across multiple locations.

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Where Can Clear Grip Be Used in a Care Home?

Depending on the substrate and application, Clear Grip can be considered for areas including:

Bathrooms and wet rooms – helping improve grip on suitable tiled floors.

Shower trays – adding slip resistance to existing shower surfaces.

Baths – providing additional grip while remaining comfortable underfoot.

Entrances – improving grip on suitable surfaces affected by wet footwear.

Communal areas – treating appropriate smooth floor surfaces where additional slip resistance is required.

Steps and walkways – improving grip on suitable internal and external surfaces.

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A Practical Approach to Care Home Slip Prevention

There isn't one single measure that eliminates every slip risk.

Good housekeeping, appropriate footwear, prompt cleaning of spills, effective entrance matting, suitable handrails and regular assessment of flooring all have a role to play.

Where an existing surface is identified as too slippery, however, applying a suitable anti-slip floor treatment or coating can be a practical way to improve its slip resistance without automatically replacing it.

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Clear Grip Anti-Slip Coating for Care Homes

Clear Grip provides a clear, water-based and non-etching solution for improving slip resistance across a variety of suitable surfaces.

From a single shower tray to multiple bathrooms and larger communal areas, Clear Grip kits are available in different sizes to suit the application.

Reduce Slip Risk • Reduce Injuries • Reduce Claims

Contact Clear Grip to discuss the surface you need to treat and the most suitable solution for your care facility.