Understanding NHS flooring requirements under HBN 00-10 Part A: A Practical Approach

When people refer to “NHS-compliant flooring,” they’re usually talking about alignment with Health Building Note (HBN) 00-10 Part A: Flooring. This document doesn’t promote one material over another. Instead, it sets out the functional, safety and infection-control outcomes a floor must achieve within healthcare environments.

Material choice alone does not guarantee compliance. HBN is clear: success depends on the total flooring system — material, subfloor preparation, junction detailing, installation quality, and maintenance regime.

Below is a clear, structured overview of what HBN looks like when considered closely from a materials perspective — and why resilient flooring such as rubber are often considered suitable within that framework.

1) Begin with a documented risk assessment

HBN 00-10 requires flooring decisions to be based on a recorded risk assessment. That assessment should consider:

• The clinical function of the space
• Likely contamination (dry, wet, bodily fluids, cleaning agents)
• Slip and trip potential
• Maintenance regimes
• Appearance and wayfinding
• Acoustic performance
• Types of footwear and wheeled traffic

The important principle is proportionality. A consulting room, a main corridor, and an operating theatre carry different risks — so the flooring response should differ accordingly.

2) Infection control and cleanability are fundamental

HBN makes it clear that all flooring, including slip-resistant finishes, must be capable of being cleaned to agreed hygiene standards and must tolerate the cleaning chemicals used in healthcare environments.

In clinical areas and associated corridors, the guidance recommends continuous floor-to-wall junctions (for example, coved skirtings). This reduces dirt traps and supports effective cleaning.

Where floors are exposed to water — such as sanitary areas or treatment rooms — finishes should resist moisture penetration and protect the underlying structure. Detailing must also prevent water tracking into vulnerable junctions or concealed areas.

Cleanability is not optional. It is central to infection prevention strategy.

3) Slip resistance must be appropriate — and maintainable

HBN requires floors to reduce slip risk in both dry and contaminated conditions; performance should not degrade significantly through wear or cleaning.

Slip resistance must be balanced carefully. Surfaces should be safe under expected conditions, but also cleanable and appropriate for wheeled traffic.

4) Durability and operational resilience matter

Healthcare environments are intensive. Floors must cope with:

• Heavy footfall
• Wheeled beds and equipment
• Impact and point loading
• Regular deep cleaning
• Movement and subfloor stability

HBN emphasises flat, stable surfaces that support wheeled traffic. Threshold strips should be avoided where possible, and detailing should minimise trip hazards.

In operating theatres, floors must withstand frequent spillages, heavy equipment and regular disinfection, while remaining smooth and stable.

5) Area-specific considerations

The guidance identifies particular requirements in specific zones:

• Entrances: Effective matting systems to control water and contamination.
• Sanitary areas: Impermeable finishes to protect the fabric.
• Operating theatres: Robust, smooth surfaces compatible with intensive cleaning.
• Radiation or specialist areas: Consultation with relevant advisers.

The key point is that compliance is contextual. Flooring must suit the specific clinical function.

Why rubber is often considered a strong option

Within this framework, rubber flooring is frequently specified because its inherent properties can align well with HBN priorities.

Properly installed rubber sheet systems can support:

• Seamless or welded installations with wide roll formats such as Artigo's 1.9m roll width dramatically lowering the prevalence of joins when compared to other resilient floor widths of c1.2m. Seams are a potential weak link over time so reducing the number of these within a setting but opting for width roll widths is a key risk management item.
• Integrated coved skirting
• Good resistance to wear from wheeled traffic
• Slip resistance suited to specific risk categories
• Compatibility with healthcare cleaning regimes

Rubber’s resilience under load can also contribute to durability in high-traffic corridors and circulation spaces.

In healthcare design, flooring is not a cosmetic decision. It is part of the infection-control strategy, the safety framework, and the long-term operational resilience of the building.

A broader view: flooring as infrastructure, not finish

In healthcare estates, flooring is too often discussed late in the design process and sometimes treated as a finish selection rather than an operational system. HBN 00-10 quietly challenges that mindset. The document reads less like a style guide and more like a risk-management manual.

A hospital floor is in constant contact with patients, clinicians, equipment and cleaning regimes. It absorbs impact, moisture, chemical exposure and movement every day. If it fails — through poor detailing, inadequate slip performance, weak seams or surface degradation — the consequences are not aesthetic; they are clinical, financial and operational.

This is where resilient rubber systems like ARTIGO tend to attract attention. When specified correctly, rubber can offer long service life, consistent surface integrity and detailing that supports infection control. It does not rely on applied coatings to achieve performance, which can be significant in environments with frequent cleaning and its elasticity can reduce visible wear patterns in heavy circulation zones.

The HBN guidelines demand that the follwing question be asked throughout the design process:

“Does this flooring system demonstrably support infection control, safety, durability and lifecycle performance in this specific clinical context?”

When that question is taken seriously, flooring stops being decorative and becomes what it really is in healthcare: operational infrastructure.

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Our blog is written for information only; please speak to one of our specification team to discuss project requirements directly.

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