Aesthetics can often be overlooked in industrial facilities, where functionality typically takes significant precedence over form.
Heavy-duty, punishing processes in industrial environments, such as factories, warehouses, electronics processing and aircraft hangars, often call for a multitude of performance requirements when it comes to the flooring, including extreme chemical resistance, antistatic properties, resistance to heavy wheeled traffic and more.
While meeting these requirements through the appropriate specification of polymer floor coating materials is critical, how the floor looks – as well as how it performs – should not be overlooked.
When workers are surrounded by visually appealing spaces, they are likely to feel more motivated and engaged in their tasks. This positive atmosphere can lead to higher levels of focus and efficiency across the board.
The appearance of an industrial facility reflects directly on the company’s brand image and reputation – a well-maintained and visually appealing environment showcases professionalism, attention to detail and quality standards, that filter through all business operations.
In fact, a study on The Interior Design of Workplace and its Impact on Employees’ Performance has shown that the vast majority of employees (96 %) believe that superior design leads to superior overall performance, and makes a company more competitive.
Of course, this includes a wide range of features that comprise the workplace interiors, including outside view, furniture and temperature. Also factored in, however, are spacial arrangement, colour and lighting, all of which can be impacted by resin flooring. Yes – even lighting!
The Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of a polymer flooring material refers to the measurement of how much light is reflected off its surface. LRV is typically measured on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents absolute black (no light reflected) and 100 represents pure white (maximum light reflected). The LRV of a flooring material helps in determining the visual contrast between different surfaces and assessing their overall brightness, and influences various aspects of the environment, such as visual comfort, aesthetics and safety. Flooring with a higher LRV contributes to a brighter environment and potentially reducing the need for additional artificial lighting.
Aesthetic considerations often go hand in hand with safety and cleanliness in industrial settings. Clear, organised spaces not only look better but also contribute to better workflow and accident prevention. Thoughtfully designed spaces, with effective zoning and walkways, can streamline workflows, minimise distractions and accidents, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Typically, zoning and walkways are created using a palette of contrasting colours, just like those at Wetherby Group, featuring vebrores EP HBC installed by the talented team at Coatech.
The pigmented, solvent-free, low odour epoxy floor coating system was installed across the whole floor area of the Dalton, North Yorkshire facility in RAL 7038 Agate Grey, before the finishing touches of solid and hatched areas using RAL 3001 Signal Red and RAL 7024 Graphite Grey, as well as solid walkways in RAL 1003 Signal Yellow throughout the production space.
The addition of these clear walkways and restricted zones across the facility has ensured that the production team, as well as visitors to the site, are able to traverse the manufacturing areas safely and without incident.
Similarly, South Western Railway employed a palette of linemarking colours to complement the vebrodeck ID installed in RAL 7037 Dusty Grey throughout the traincare depots in Clapham, Farnham, Fratton & Bournemouth.
At these four sites, a combination of RAL 3001 Signal Red, RAL 6002 Leaf Green and BS 4800 08E51 Safety Yellow were used to denote specific zones across the platforms.
Looking good…
Incorporating aesthetic considerations into industrial flooring choices isn’t just about making spaces look good – it’s about fostering a positive work environment that enhances productivity and safety.
We’d love to discuss any upcoming projects and how resin flooring can elevate the aesthetics and functionality of industrial facilities.
Contact the Vebro team in Manchester, UK by dropping an email to hello@vebropolymers.com.
