HIP-HOP Flooring Study

About the flooring

We are testing a new type of flooring called Omnisport EXCEL, manufactured by a company called Tarkett. It looks like a normal floor but the top layer of the floor is made out of vinyl. It is a little thicker than normal floors (8.3mm) as it has a ‘shock-absorbing’ foam backing.

This floor has been designed for its shock-absorbent properties and meets health and safety rules. This is the first time the floor has been tested in hospitals. We want to find out if this floor can help soften the fall if somebody falls over.

Following concerns raised by staff about moving wheeled equipment on the floor, we commissioned an independent assessment of the 'push-pull' characteristics of the flooring in relation to manual handling safety, which was undertaken by ergonomics specialists at the Health & Safety Laboratory. The report is available here