How Hotels Can Reduce Wet-Floor Slip Risks

Wet floors are an unavoidable challenge for hotels. From bathrooms and shower trays to swimming pools, spas, entrances, bars and restaurant areas, water and other contaminants can quickly turn an attractive smooth surface into a potential slip hazard.

For hotel operators, preventing slips isn't simply about putting out a "Caution – Wet Floor" sign. A more effective approach is to identify where slips are most likely to occur and take practical steps to reduce the risk before an accident happens.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that slips and trips remain the single most common cause of major injury in UK workplaces, with wet or dirty floors being a major contributor.

So, what can hotels do to reduce wet-floor slip risks while retaining the premium appearance guests expect?

Where Are the Main Slip Risks in a

Hotel?

Hotels contain numerous areas where smooth surfaces and water regularly come together.

Some of the most common areas include:

Hotel bathrooms
Baths and shower trays
Wet rooms
Swimming pool surrounds
Spa and changing areas
Reception and entrance floors
Restaurant and bar areas
Commercial kitchens
Toilets
Steps and stairways
Outdoor terraces and walkways

A polished tile or smooth shower tray may look fantastic when dry, but its slip characteristics can change considerably when water, soap, shampoo, cleaning products, grease or other contaminants are introduced.

Hotel operators should therefore consider how the surface performs in the conditions in which it is actually used – not simply how it performs when clean and dry.

1. Identify High-Risk Areas

The first step is identifying where water and contamination are most likely to occur.

Hotel bathrooms are an obvious example. Guests stepping from a shower or bath are often barefoot, the surrounding surfaces may be wet, and soap or shampoo can introduce additional contamination.

Reception entrances are another potential problem. Rainwater can be carried into the building on shoes, particularly during the British winter.

Swimming pools, spas and changing facilities are almost continuously exposed to water.

Bars, restaurants and commercial kitchens can face different contaminants, including drinks, oils, food and cleaning solutions.

A hotel slip risk assessment should identify these areas and consider whether the existing surface provides sufficient grip under foreseeable conditions.

2. Don't Rely on Wet-Floor Signs Alone

Wet-floor signs are useful for alerting guests and staff to a temporary hazard, but they don't actually remove the hazard.

HSE guidance recommends preventing access to smooth wet floors where practical, for example by using barriers or cleaning in sections. HSE also points out that signs and cones only warn people about the hazard rather than physically preventing them from entering the area.

For hotels, where guests are constantly moving around the building, prevention is therefore extremely important.

Reducing how slippery the surface becomes when wet can provide an additional layer of protection.

3. Review Your Cleaning Procedures

Ironically, cleaning can sometimes increase the immediate risk of slipping.

Mopping a smooth floor can leave behind a thin film of water, creating a slippery surface until it has completely dried.

Hotels should therefore consider:

Cleaning during quieter periods
Cleaning smaller sections at a time
Providing a dry route around areas being cleaned
Removing spills immediately
Using appropriate cleaning products
Using dry mops or squeegees to reduce drying time
Restricting access where necessary until the surface is dry
Training housekeeping and cleaning staff to recognise slip hazards

A good cleaning regime doesn't just keep the hotel looking its best – it forms an important part of hotel slip prevention.

4. Pay Particular Attention to Hotel Bathrooms

Bathrooms deserve special consideration because water cannot realistically be eliminated from the environment.

A beautiful polished shower tray, bath or tiled bathroom floor can still present a slip risk when wet.

Traditional solutions include bath mats and rubber shower mats. However, these can move, require regular cleaning and replacement, and may detract from the appearance of a premium hotel bathroom.

An alternative is applying a clear anti slip coating to the existing shower tray, bath or tiled surface.

Clear Grip Anti-Slip creates a transparent textured finish designed to increase grip while retaining the premium appearance of the underlying surface.

This makes it particularly suitable for hotels that want to improve bathroom safety without making their bathrooms look institutional.

5. Consider a Clear Anti Slip Coating

Replacing hundreds of shower trays, baths or tiled floors simply because additional slip resistance is required can be expensive, disruptive and unnecessary.

A clear anti slip coating for hotels can instead be applied over a suitable existing surface.

Clear Grip Anti-Slip provides:

Excellent adhesion • Water-based formulation • VOC-free chemistry • Non-etching technology • UV resistance • Easy cleaning • Transparent appearance • Class C certified slip resistance

Rather than chemically etching the existing surface, Clear Grip creates a durable protective anti slip coating over it.

This is particularly useful where hotels have invested heavily in the appearance of their bathrooms, spas, pool areas and public spaces and don't want to hide attractive surfaces underneath rubber coverings or industrial-looking coatings.

6. Avoid Damaging Expensive Surfaces

Hotels often contain expensive materials including marble, natural stone, ceramic tiles, decorative flooring and premium bathroom surfaces.

This makes the method used to increase slip resistance particularly important.

Some anti slip treatments use chemical etching to increase surface roughness. The HSE notes that acid etching works by dissolving part of the floor surface and can affect both its appearance and lifespan.

Clear Grip is non-etching.

Instead of attacking the underlying material, it forms a protective anti slip layer over the surface.

This makes Clear Grip particularly attractive where the hotel wants additional grip while retaining the appearance of its existing surfaces.

7. Make Shower Trays and Baths Safer Without Replacing Them

One of the biggest opportunities for hotels is existing bathrooms.

Imagine a hotel with 100 bedrooms.

Replacing 100 perfectly serviceable shower trays purely to obtain improved slip resistance could involve significant material costs, labour and room downtime.

Applying a clear anti slip coating offers a completely different approach.

Clear Grip can be applied directly to suitable acrylic, ABS, fibreglass, gelcoat and ceramic shower trays and baths, creating a fine textured finish while retaining their original appearance.

For hotel maintenance departments, this means bathrooms can potentially be upgraded one room at a time, helping minimise disruption to hotel operations.

8. Think Beyond the Bathroom

Hotel slip risks don't stop at the bedroom door.

Clear Grip can be used across a wide variety of suitable surfaces and locations, making it possible to adopt a more consistent approach to slip resistance throughout a property.

Potential hotel applications include:

Shower trays & baths – increase grip without using rubber mats.

Wet rooms – provide a clear anti slip surface while retaining the appearance of existing flooring.

Swimming pools & spas – improve grip in areas where water is constantly present.

Hotel entrances – provide additional grip where rainwater may be carried into the building.

Bars & restaurants – help address areas exposed to drinks and other contamination.

Commercial kitchens – increase grip in demanding working environments.

Changing rooms – improve wet-floor slip resistance.

Outdoor terraces and walkways – UV resistance allows Clear Grip to be considered for suitable external applications.

9. Choose a Coating That's Easy to Keep Clean

There's little point solving one maintenance problem by creating another.

Some extremely aggressive anti slip surfaces can trap dirt, making cleaning more difficult.

Clear Grip uses a fine textured surface with spherical particles designed to "grip you, not the dirt."

This balance is particularly important in hospitality environments where cleanliness, appearance and slip resistance all matter.

The transparent finish also allows the original colour and design of the hotel's flooring or bathroom surface to remain visible.

10. Create a Proactive Slip-Prevention Programme

The best approach to reducing hotel slip risks combines several measures rather than relying on a single solution.

Hotel management and maintenance teams should regularly:

Identify areas where floors frequently become wet.
Review previous slip incidents and near misses.
Check shower trays, baths and wet-room surfaces.
Review cleaning procedures.
Repair leaks promptly.
Remove spillages quickly.
Review entrance matting and water control.
Assess whether existing flooring provides adequate wet grip.
Consider anti slip treatments where appropriate.
Record actions taken as part of the hotel's ongoing health and safety procedures.

This creates a proactive approach rather than waiting until an accident highlights a problem.

A Practical Anti Slip Solution for Hotels

Hotel guests expect bathrooms, spas, restaurants and public spaces to be safe, clean and attractive.

Traditionally, improving slip resistance could mean replacing flooring, installing mats or using treatments that alter the original surface.

Clear Grip provides another option.

Our clear, water-based, VOC-free and non-etching anti slip coating can be applied to a wide range of existing surfaces, providing exceptional adhesion and durable slip resistance while retaining the premium appearance expected within a hotel.

Available in 1.2m², 5m², 15m² and 60m² kits, Clear Grip can be used for anything from individual hotel shower trays to considerably larger commercial areas.

Reduce Slip Risk Without Compromising Appearance

Whether you're responsible for one independent hotel or hundreds of bedrooms across a hotel group, improving slip resistance doesn't necessarily mean replacing existing surfaces.

Identify the risk. Improve cleaning and maintenance procedures. And where the existing surface needs additional grip, consider a certified clear anti slip coating designed specifically to improve wet-surface performance.

Discover Clear Grip Anti-Slip

Reduce Slip Risk • Reduce Injuries • Reduce Claims

Clear Grip Anti-Slip – Designed to grip you, not the dirt.