Hospitality construction — 4 things to consider for Pedestrian Safety

Hospitality environments such as bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels create unique design challenges for architects and builders, as they strive to balance public safety with the functionality and appearance of a venue. Apart from the standard building codes and regulations applicable to hospitality construction, here's three points to consider to improve pedestrian safety and prevent avoidable accidents or litigation.

1.Don't underestimate the importance of hand rails

Most commonly installed to support those who are visually impaired or have limited mobility, handrails help to steady and guide pedestrians as they navigate stairways or changes in flooring level. However, handrails are not just for those with disability — in fact, they enhance the safety of all patrons, especially in a hospitality environment.

Any venue serving alcohol will acknowledge the increased risk of pedestrian stumbles and falls due to loss of balance, intoxication or simply through venue crowding. Furthermore, many builders and designers fail to recognise the importance of hand rails to patrons wearing high heels, who may require extra balance when ascending or descending stairways. For this reason, consider installing handrails on both sides of stairs — especially in busy venues where patrons are likely to keep left while walking through stairwells.

Illuminated hand rails are another eye-catching option, and further enhance visibility in areas with high foot traffic. Particularly useful in nightclubs and bars where lighting may be dimmed, illuminated walkways look striking and be incorporated into an impressive aesthetic design, without spoiling the look or ambience of the area with solid light. In a practical sense, illuminated bump rails can also be installed to protect any area exposed to the movement of vehicles such as trolleys, reducing the potential for accidents or damage.

2. Entry, exit, and interaction with street landscape

When working with venues that feature a street front interface, outdoor area or footway dining area, construction must take into account proximity to locations of concentrated pedestrian activity nearby, as well as potential congestion points between entries, exits and the venue interior. For instance, doorways and outdoor dining areas should be safely distanced from pedestrian intersections, bus and tram stops, taxi ranks and busy neighbouring shopfronts.

Care should be taken to avoid congestion or obstruction at entry and exit points to ensure the safe movement of pedestrians between the venue and street, and between different areas of its interior. Without proper forethought in the design and construction process, congestion points can lead to accidents and present safety hazards in emergency situations.

Also consider the behaviour of  patrons when they leave a venue. It’s believed that in emergencies, most people exit a venue through the same door they came in. By recognising this in the initial doorway design, the additional pedestrian traffic that may occur during an emergency can be more effectively managed. Another way to control pedestrian traffic when leaving a venue is by incorporating a buffer area such as a transition foyer into building design. This can alleviate potential disturbance to neighbours by limiting the ability of patrons to take the party atmosphere immediately onto the street outside. In addition, it may help to avoid situations in which patrons take glassware or alcohol outside a venue, and consequently jeopardise licensing laws.

3. Non-slip surfaces

In foyers, kitchens, bars, dance floors and any other public areas which may become wet from outdoor weather or liquid spills, slip resistant surfaces are an essential installation to protect patrons and employees from slips and falls. Non-slip systems such as entry mats and step tread nosing are also a requirement of numerous Australian and International building codes and Occupational Health and Safety regulations.

For building entrances and service areas exposed to rain and dirt from heavy foot traffic, a solution such as the Latham Entry Mat system is ideal. Built from extruded aluminium tread rails, the entry mat system carries factory installed infill comprising abrasive, slip-resistant material, carpet (for dirt control) or vinyl (where a combination of slip resistance and dirt control is required).

Stairways, changes in flooring levels and mixed floor surface finishes (eg. changes from carpet to tiles) can also create hazardous hotspots for pedestrians. Some of these dangers are best addressed in the initial building design, by eliminating any unnecessary steps or level changes in high traffic areas. However, where a change in level or floor finish is unavoidable, it should be delineated through the use of contrast step tread nosings. Latham manufacture a range of Asbraloy Aluminium and Asbrabronz Solid Brass Safety Stair Tread Nosings, which have been subject to extensive slip-resistant, fire and safety testing, and are suitable for installation on all indoor and outdoor stairs, platforms, walkways and ramps to to enhance public safety.

4. Lighting for safe stairs

While the use of illuminated handrails are one way to ensure pedestrians are stepping safely in areas of low lighting, it’s also possible to improve thoroughfare safety with illuminated stair tread nosing. Aside from providing a slip-resistant surface, Latham’s Tredlite 2 Asbraloy LED Decorative step tread nosings, Tredlite 2 Asbrabronz LED Decorative step tread nosings

and Lumo Luminescent (glow in the dark) step treads create an illuminated path for safe transit on stairways, and can be used in conjunction with all products in the Asbraloy and Asbrabronz stair tread nosing range.

How does your project fare in pedestrian safety design? Whether you’re just getting started on a venue design for a new hospitality project, or you’re working in a more hands-on construction role for an existing build, contact Latham to find out how we can equip your building with the highest quality safety features.

To find out more about Latham products, please visit www.latham-australia.com. To talk to a Latham product expert, call 1300 LATHAM (528 426) or email sales@latham-australia.com.