The Importance of Modern Factory Flooring

Over the prior hundred years and more factory flooring has undoubtedly seen many changes. During the Victorian era, factory flooring was all about wooden or basic concrete floors. Now, there’s so much choice available to suit all types of factories.

The various safety standards that have been introduced in the UK have brought about the need and demand for different flooring products to fit in with specific factory flooring requirements.

Throughout the era of the industrial revolution, factories were dangerous places with many lives lost. Among the reasons for this was that factory floors were generally unstable. Flooring was typically manufactured from wood – a surface that would easily splinter thereby creating a tripping hazard. Floors would wear rapidly and as such would need to be regularly repaired or replaced entirely.

Fortunately, things have now changed to the point that factory floors are able to withstand wear and tear caused by continual footfall and heavy vehicle usage. Factory floors must also be capable of tolerating impact. In turn, flooring must be robust, it must be durable, and it must be fully in line with the industrial environment’s exacting standards.

Concrete Flooring

Wooden floors did not provide the answer so instead, factory owners turned to concrete floors. Concrete floors do not splinter when impacted but they are relatively easily damaged at which point they can be a tripping hazard.

When flat and stable concrete floors do work well. Concrete is an absorbent material so in order to prevent dampness and staining it does call for the use of a sealer.

Concrete floors are also particularly cost-efficient, but, as mentioned, because they are easily damaged by impact they are not the ideal solution for any factory that relies on mobile equipment or one that stocks products that have falling potential.

Improvements to concrete flooring that are very popular these days are products that cater to resin flooring.

Resin Flooring

Resin flooring avoids creating a potential slipping hazard and it is the ideal solution in terms of being environmentally friendly.

Resin forms a robust, hardwearing flooring and is resistant to damage. Resin flooring really does stand alone in terms of its ability to provide an excellent surface where liquid spillage is frequent. It is also excellent at resisting impact. However, to avoid slipping epoxy resin does need an anti-slip coating applied to it.

The Future of Factory Flooring

Since the time of the early factories in the UK, factory flooring has seen immense changes. Safety regulations have dictated the necessity for safe practices within all factories. In any working environment, safety is now top priority so it’s vitally important that all flooring used in factories should meet expectations and more.

Flooring has emerged from simplistic wood through to concrete to floors that are more suited to industry specifics – floors like epoxy and rubber. Over the coming years we can but wonder as to how factory flooring will continue to evolve.