First, understand what "fail" actually means
A slip test does not return a pass or fail stamp from the instrument. It returns a measurement, a P or D classification, which the report then compares against the recommendation of HB 198:2014 for that location's use. A "fail" means the surface sits below the classification recommended for the way that area is used. How far below matters: an entry foyer at P2 against a P3 recommendation is a different urgency from a pool ramp at P2 against P5. If the numbers are unfamiliar, start with our guide to reading a slip test report.
Triage: act on risk, not on page order
Work through failed surfaces in order of consequence:
- First: stairs, ramps and wet barefoot areas. Falls here cause the most serious injuries. These deserve interim controls the same day the report lands.
- Next: wet or contaminated areas with heavy traffic. Entries, kitchens, bathrooms and food courts, where water or grease meets volume.
- Then: marginal results in dry, low-traffic areas. Still on the list, but these can wait for a planned works program.
A good report has already done this ranking for you. Every Slip Audit report orders findings by risk for exactly this reason.
Interim controls: hold the line, but do not stop there
While rectification is arranged, sensible short-term controls include matting over the worst zones, warning signage, adjusting cleaning frequency so the surface spends less time contaminated, and in serious cases restricting access. Be clear-eyed about what these are: temporary measures that reduce risk while you fix the surface. A wet floor sign that becomes permanent furniture is not a control, it is an admission that you knew about the hazard and left it there.
The rectification options
The right fix depends on why the floor is failing and what it is made of:
- Deep cleaning and strip-back. Where the culprit is built-up detergent residue, polish or grime, an aggressive clean can restore much of the original texture. This is the cheapest fix and always worth ruling in or out first.
- Anti-slip chemical treatments. For tiles, stone and other mineral surfaces, etching treatments microscopically increase surface texture. Applied well, they can lift a classification or two without changing the floor's appearance dramatically.
- Anti-slip coatings and resins. Coatings carrying an aggregate suit concrete, steel and timber, and are the usual answer for ramps, stairs and back-of-house areas where appearance matters less than grip.
- Mechanical retexturing. Grinding, shot blasting or scarifying re-establishes texture on concrete and some stone. Durable, but it changes the look of the floor.
- Targeted hardware. Stair nosings, tactile strips and entrance matting systems fix specific high-risk points without touching the whole floor.
- Replacement. Sometimes the honest answer, particularly where a surface was the wrong specification for its location from day one.
Two cautions from the field. First, match the treatment to the floor: an etching product that works on porcelain can damage natural stone. Second, ask any treatment contractor what classification they will achieve and how long it will last, and get it in writing. Treatments wear, and some fade within months on busy floors.
Retest to close the loop
Rectification without a retest is a job half done. A follow-up test to AS 4663:2013 confirms the fix actually achieved the required classification, catches treatments that underperformed, and produces the before-and-after paper trail that demonstrates due diligence. It also starts the clock properly: treated surfaces should join your periodic testing program, because their performance can decay faster than the original floor. Our guide on how often slip testing should be done covers setting those intervals.
Stop it drifting back
Most failures build slowly, through wear, cleaning residues and surface treatments applied without a thought for grip. Once a floor is back above guidance, protect the investment: brief your cleaning contractor on products and dilution, require sign-off before anyone seals or polishes a tested floor, and keep the area in the testing cycle so drift shows up as a trend rather than a surprise.
We can take you from failed result to fixed floor
Slip Audit reports do not stop at the numbers: every failed surface comes with risk-ranked recommendations and referrals to rectification specialists, and we retest once the work is done. If you are holding a report full of red rows, we can help you work through it, anywhere in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.