How to Order Safety Flooring for Nurseries, Schools and Children's Areas

Fitting out a nursery, a school or a children’s activity room safely starts with the floor. Buildings open to the public are subject to fire safety, accessibility and building regulations, and the flooring you specify has to satisfy all three before it satisfies anyone’s taste. This guide sets out the sequence to follow, from assessing the need to handing over the installed floor.

1. Assess the need and choose the material

Before ordering anything, establish the occupancy of the space and what actually happens in it. A room where toddlers crawl, a corridor used by a whole year group and a multi-purpose activity hall do not call for the same product.

For young children the requirements are consistent: a resilient, slip-resistant surface suited to developing motor skills and able to take repeated impact. Rubber floor mats and resilient impact-resistant floor tiles are the usual answer, and they can be specified in thicknesses and formats that match the use of each room. Our rubber flooring tiles range covers the formats normally used in this kind of project.

2. Checks and approvals

Every material selected has to comply with the fire safety rules applying to buildings open to the public. In practice that means asking the supplier for the declared reaction-to-fire classification of the product, in writing, and confirming that it matches what the regulations applicable in your country require for that type of room.

Accessibility is the second stream. The floor covering affects circulation, level changes and slip resistance, all of which fall within accessibility requirements. In many jurisdictions the technical documentation has to be reviewed and approved by the competent authority before the work goes ahead. Check the procedure that applies locally at the start of the project, not once the tiles are on site.

3. Administrative steps

If installing the flooring is part of a wider alteration to the space, the works may need planning or building consent. Where that is the case, submit a complete file: the layout drawings, a detailed specification of the materials chosen and the supporting documentation for each product. Requirements vary by country and often by local authority, so confirm what your own authority expects before the file is compiled.

4. Placing the order

Order from specialist suppliers who can evidence compliance rather than assert it. At the point of order, ask for the technical data sheets and the certificates covering fire performance and accessibility. A supplier working regularly with schools and childcare settings will have this documentation ready and will be able to show the records of the periodic technical checks carried out on their products.

Interlocking tiles are frequently specified for children’s rooms because they can be laid, extended and partially replaced without taking up the whole floor. A product such as the 7 mm light grey rubber puzzle tile, from our interlocking puzzle tile range, is a typical choice for activity rooms.

5. Preparing for installation

Before the tiles arrive, prepare the space to the safety and accessibility standards that apply. That can include adjusting circulation widths and exits, putting emergency provisions in place and running evacuation drills with the people who use the building. Make sure whoever is responsible for safety in the building knows which type of flooring has been laid and where, so that the record held for the premises stays accurate.

6. Training and briefing

Finally, brief the staff who will use the space. Childcare workers, teaching assistants and educators need to know what has changed in terms of accessibility and safety, how the new floor behaves when wet, and how it should be cleaned. Good working knowledge of the safety rules is the cheapest risk prevention available, for fire risk and for everyday child safety alike.

Frequently asked questions

What type of flooring suits a nursery?

A resilient, slip-resistant covering that absorbs impact and suits young children’s motor development. Rubber mats and resilient tiles are the products normally specified.

What documents should the supplier provide?

Technical data sheets for each product, the declared reaction-to-fire classification, and the certificates covering fire safety and accessibility performance. Ask for them at the quotation stage.

Do we need consent to change the flooring?

It depends on the scope. Replacing a floor covering usually does not; altering the layout of a space open to the public often does. Confirm with the authority responsible for your building before you order.

Can the floor be extended later?

Yes, if you specify an interlocking tile system. Tiles can be added as the space is extended and damaged tiles replaced individually, which is why they are common in schools and childcare settings.

Getting it specified correctly