Farms, kennels, veterinary facilities and animal shelters require frequent cleaning to maintain hygiene, control contamination and protect animal welfare. Floors may be washed several times each day using water, detergents, disinfectants and powerful biocides.
Although these cleaning routines are essential, they can leave floors persistently damp and expose conventional floor safety products to aggressive chemicals. This can create a serious slip risk, particularly in areas where staff are handling livestock, moving equipment or walking dogs that may suddenly pull on a lead.
Heskins Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip tape is designed for demanding environments where reliable traction must be maintained alongside regular chemical cleaning. Its durable abrasive surface helps improve grip underfoot, while its specially modified resin provides increased resistance to chemical attack.
Improving Safety on Wet and Damp Floors
Epoxy floors are commonly used in animal shelters, veterinary practices and agricultural buildings because they are durable, hygienic and relatively easy to clean. However, smooth epoxy surfaces can become slippery when exposed to water, cleaning products, animal waste or disinfectant residue.
The risk can be especially high in corridors, kennels, wash-down areas, treatment rooms, entrances and routes used to move animals between different sections of a facility.
Staff may also need to maintain their footing while controlling large or energetic animals. A dog pulling suddenly on a lead, for example, can place additional force on the handler and increase the likelihood of a fall if the floor is wet or lacks sufficient traction.
Applying chemical-resistant anti-slip tape to identified high-risk areas can help create a more secure walking surface. The abrasive mineral coating provides additional grip between footwear and the floor, helping to reduce the risk of slips in wet and demanding conditions.
Anti-Slip Tape Designed for Chemical Exposure
Standard anti-slip tapes may offer adequate resistance to water and mild cleaning products. However, repeated or prolonged exposure to stronger disinfectants, acids, alkalis and solvents can affect the resin that holds the abrasive particles in place.
This is particularly relevant in farms and animal care environments, where disinfectant solutions may remain on the floor for extended periods or become trapped around tape edges, floor joints and drainage areas.
Heskins Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip is manufactured using a specially modified upper bonding resin. This resin is designed to resist chemical attack and help the tape retain its abrasive surface during exposure to high-concentration cleaning chemicals.
The range includes several grades:
- H3447 Standard Grade
- H3443 Coarse Grade
- H3446 X-Coarse Grade
- H3449 Standard Grade with HG adhesive
Standard grade is suitable for many general pedestrian routes. Coarse and X-coarse grades may be more appropriate in locations where mud, bedding, animal waste, feed or other heavy contamination could cover a finer anti-slip surface.
Resistance to Peracetic Acid
Peracetic acid, also known as peroxyacetic acid or PAA, has the chemical formula CH₃CO₃H. It is a powerful, broad-spectrum biocide used extensively in farming, food production and other industries where effective microbial control is essential.
In livestock environments, peracetic acid may be used to disinfect animal housing, equipment, drinking-water systems, milking facilities, transport vehicles and wash-down areas. It can also support wider agricultural hygiene programmes by helping control bacteria, viruses and other harmful microorganisms.
Peracetic acid is also used in crop disease prevention, greenhouse sanitation and post-harvest cleaning. Its strong oxidising properties make it highly effective, but they can also place considerable demands on flooring accessories, adhesives and safety products.
Heskins Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip is designed for environments exposed to acids, alkalis, solvents and aggressive cleaning substances. This makes it a more suitable option than conventional anti-slip tape in areas where peracetic acid is regularly used.
Chemical resistance can still depend on several factors, including concentration, temperature, exposure time and cleaning frequency. The exact chemical product and its safety data sheet should therefore be reviewed before installation.
Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide in Animal Shelters
Accelerated hydrogen peroxide is widely used in animal shelters, kennels, veterinary facilities and rescue centres. It may be used to disinfect floors, cages, treatment rooms and other hard surfaces where hygiene is critical.
Anti-slip tape in these environments must withstand more than direct chemical exposure. It may also need to cope with frequent washing, damp conditions, repeated scrubbing, heavy foot traffic and the additional physical strain created when animals pull against leads.
Heskins Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip combines a durable abrasive surface, strong self-adhesive backing and chemically resistant resin. This construction makes it suitable for facilities that need dependable traction alongside intensive cleaning and disinfection routines.
Applications in Farming and Animal Care
Chemical-resistant anti-slip tape can be used across a wide range of agricultural and animal care environments, including:
- Animal shelter corridors
- Kennels and catteries
- Veterinary treatment areas
- Livestock housing
- Milking parlours
- Poultry facilities
- Wash-down stations
- Feed preparation rooms
- Farm entrances, ramps and steps
- Agricultural equipment platforms
The tape can be applied to specific high-risk locations rather than covering the entire floor. Typical areas may include doorways, changes in floor level, narrow walkways, ramps and routes regularly used to move animals.
Suitable for Epoxy Floors
Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip can be applied to suitable epoxy flooring, provided the surface is prepared correctly.
The epoxy coating must be fully cured, structurally sound and securely bonded to the floor. Before installation, the surface should be clean, dry and free from grease, dust, loose contamination and disinfectant residue.
Even if the floor is normally damp, the application area must be dried thoroughly before the tape is fitted. Moisture beneath the adhesive can prevent a secure bond from forming and may allow water or cleaning chemicals to travel underneath the material.
Firm pressure should be applied across the entire strip, with particular attention paid to the edges. These areas are more likely to be affected by water, scrubbing equipment and repeated cleaning.
Selecting the Correct Grade
The most suitable grade will depend on the level of contamination and the conditions in which the tape will be used.
Standard-grade Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip is suitable for many general walkways and pedestrian areas. Coarse or X-coarse grades may be better suited to locations exposed to mud, animal bedding, waste or other debris that could clog a finer abrasive surface.
Regular cleaning is still essential. Even a heavy-duty anti-slip tape cannot provide its intended level of grip if the abrasive surface becomes completely covered by dirt or residue.
Durable Grip for Demanding Hygiene Regimes
Farms and animal shelters cannot compromise on either hygiene or pedestrian safety. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting are necessary, but they can leave floors wet and expose conventional anti-slip products to aggressive chemicals.
Heskins Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip provides a durable solution for suitable epoxy floors and other sealed surfaces exposed to water, accelerated hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid and intensive cleaning routines.
Its modified chemical-resistant resin, abrasive surface and choice of grit grades make it suitable for demanding agricultural, veterinary and animal care environments. By selecting the correct grade, preparing the floor properly and confirming compatibility with the chemicals used on site, facilities can create safer walking routes without compromising their hygiene procedures.
Need a durable anti-slip solution for a farm, animal shelter, veterinary facility or other chemically demanding environment? Contact Heskins to discuss your flooring conditions, cleaning chemicals and required level of grip. Our team can help you select the most suitable Chemical Resistant Safety-Grip grade for your application.
