What Slip Risks Are Common Around Public Pools and Aquatic Centres?

An aquatic centre is not one wet surface.

It is a sequence of connected environments through which people, water and contaminants move.

The highest-risk location may not be beside the pool. It may be the first surface outside the wet zone, where water is carried onto flooring expected to remain comparatively dry.

A useful aquatic-centre assessment therefore follows the complete pedestrian journey:

Entry → reception → change room → shower → pool concourse → return journey → exit

Each zone presents a different combination of:

• water;
• contaminants;
• footwear;
• gradient;
• pedestrian behaviour;
• surface material;
• cleaning;
• drainage.

Three mechanisms create recurring risk

Although every facility is different, many aquatic-centre hazards can be understood through three recurring mechanisms.

1. Water migration

Water moves beyond the area where it originates.

It may be carried by:

• bodies;
• swimwear;
• towels;
• bare feet;
• wet footwear;
• cleaning equipment;
• pool equipment;
• prams and mobility devices.

2. Chemical and organic contamination

The contaminant may not be water alone.

Surfaces may also receive:

• sunscreen;
• body oils;
• soap;
• shampoo;
• cleaning products;
• pool chemicals;
• dirt;
• food and drink.

3. Changing traction demands

The amount of grip required changes where people:

• turn;
• accelerate;
• descend a slope;
• step between surfaces;
• push equipment;
• carry children or bags;
• move from barefoot to shod areas.

Risk is highest where several of these mechanisms overlap.

The external approach and entry

Aquatic-centre risk begins before patrons reach the pool.

The external route may include:

• car park walkways;
• ramps;
• exposed tiles;
• painted concrete;
• garden edges;
• drainage grates;
• paths affected by rain, moss or leaf litter.

At the main entrance, moisture may arrive from two directions:

• rain and tracked-in water from outside;
• wet patrons leaving the aquatic area.

Entrance matting may be ineffective where it is:

• too short;
• saturated;
• poorly positioned;
• displaced;
• difficult to maintain;
• bypassed by part of the pedestrian route.

Turns near reception desks, gates and turnstiles may add to the traction demand.

Reception and circulation areas

Reception areas are often designed as comparatively dry zones.

In practice, patrons may move through them:

• before drying fully;
• in wet thongs;
• carrying wet towels;
• supervising children;
• pushing prams;
• wearing unfamiliar footwear.

Water can travel beyond the visible wet-area boundary.

This is why the first dry surface after the pool or change rooms may deserve more attention than expected.

Change rooms and showers

Change rooms combine:

• barefoot traffic;
• water from showers and swimwear;
• soap and shampoo;
• body oils;
• cleaning chemicals;
• benches, bags and belongings;
• multiple changes in direction.

The floor may also change between:

• shower tile;
• drying area;
• toilet;
• locker aisle;
• corridor.

A surface suitable inside the shower does not automatically establish the performance of every adjoining zone.

The transition between surfaces may be more significant than either surface viewed in isolation.

Public toilets

Public toilets within aquatic centres should be treated as part of the wet facility rather than as ordinary dry amenities.

They may receive:

• water carried from the pool;
• hand-washing water;
• wet cleaning;
• cleaning residue;
• urine contamination;
• paper and debris.

They may also be used by barefoot patrons, shod visitors, lifeguards and cleaning staff.

Testing and inspection should reflect the actual user and contamination profile.

Pool concourses

Pool concourses may be exposed to:

• continuous splash water;
• wet barefoot traffic;
• sunscreen;
• body oils;
• cleaning products;
• pool chemicals;
• aquatic equipment.

Wear and contamination are rarely uniform.

Priority locations may include:

• pool entries;
• steps and ladders;
• spas;
• wet play areas;
• starting blocks;
• lifeguard routes;
• equipment storage;
• high-traffic paths between pools and change rooms.

Testing only a convenient open section may fail to represent the principal travel routes.

Ramps and accessible routes

Gradient increases the traction required for stable movement.

Aquatic-centre ramps may be used by:

• people with disability;
• people using walking aids;
• wheelchairs and mobility equipment;
• parents with prams;
• staff moving trolleys;
• older patrons.

A ramp may combine:

• water;
• slope;
• turning;
• handrail use;
• vulnerable pedestrians.

This makes it a distinct testing location rather than simply another section of the surrounding floor.

Drains, channels and ponding

Drainage affects where water travels and how long it remains.

Risk may concentrate:

• beside drainage channels;
• around grates;
• at low points;
• where the floor falls across a pedestrian route;
• near blocked drains;
• where splash water exceeds drainage capacity;
• where cleaning water accumulates.

WorkSafe Victoria recommends designing adequate drainage and containing contaminants before they spread across walking surfaces.

Testing should include areas where water persists, not only those that dry quickly.

The return journey: wet moving into dry

The return route often receives less attention than the pool concourse.

Patrons may leave the change room:

• still wet;
• wearing thongs;
• carrying bags;
• supervising children;
• moving towards reception, cafés or exits.

Water may be transferred onto:

• vinyl;
• polished tile;
• entrance flooring;
• mats;
• corridors;
• café areas.

The boundary between “wet” and “dry” may exist on a floor plan without existing in actual operation.

Barefoot and shod users

Aquatic centres serve both barefoot and footwear-wearing users.

The same location may be used by:

• swimmers;
• spectators;
• cleaners;
• maintenance staff;
• contractors;
• café customers;
• lifeguards;
• parents carrying children.

A test plan should not assume that the most visible user group is the only one exposed.

The footwear, movement and task may change the risk even where the surface remains the same.

Cleaning can improve or reduce grip

Aquatic facilities require intensive cleaning, but the process can affect surface performance.

Potential problems include:

• incorrect chemical concentration;
• inadequate rinsing;
• dirty cleaning water;
• incompatible chemicals;
• residue accumulation;
• uneven access by cleaning machines;
• failure to deep-clean textured surfaces.

WorkSafe Victoria notes that unsuitable cleaning and build-up can reduce floor grip, and that deep cleaning may sometimes be necessary to restore performance.

Testing may help distinguish between:

• an unsuitable surface;
• cleaning residue;
• contamination;
• wear;
• a failed treatment.

Why one test result cannot represent the facility

Different zones may have:

• different flooring materials;
• different finishes;
• different gradients;
• different contaminants;
• different footwear;
• different cleaning systems;
• different levels of wear.

One result described only as “pool area” is unlikely to provide enough information.

The test plan should record precise functional locations.

A practical testing map

A facility review should identify:

1. external access routes;
2. entrance and matting zones;
3. reception and turnstiles;
4. change rooms;
5. showers;
6. public toilets;
7. pool concourses;
8. ramps and accessible routes;
9. drains and low points;
10. wet-to-dry transitions;
11. staff and maintenance routes;
12. return routes towards the exit.

Each area should then be considered against:

• water migration;
• contamination;
• traction demand;
• user profile;
• surface condition;
• incident history.

When should testing be repeated?

Retesting may be appropriate after:

• resurfacing;
• coating or sealing;
• deep cleaning;
• changes in chemicals;
• drainage works;
• visible wear;
• complaints;
• slips or near misses;
• redevelopment;
• changed patron routes.