Fire escape steps are one of the most overlooked slip hazards on any building. External metal staircases are exposed to rain, frost, algae, and leaf litter year-round—yet they're rarely cleaned or maintained until an evacuation is required. When people need to use fire escapes, they're often moving quickly, sometimes in panic, and potentially in darkness.
Anti-slip surfacing on fire escape treads, landings, and nosing edges creates a high-grip surface that performs in wet, icy, and contaminated conditions. The goal is to make emergency egress safer by treating the surfaces people actually walk on during an evacuation.
Common fire escape surfaces that need anti-slip treatment
- Steel open-tread staircases (the most common fire escape type)
- Metal landings and half-landings
- Concrete external steps used as secondary exits
- Gratings and chequer plate that become polished over time
- Emergency exit thresholds between internal and external levels
- Final-flight steps to ground level (often the most exposed)
Why fire escapes are high-risk
- metal surfaces become extremely slippery when wet or frosty
- algae, moss, and lichen colonise sheltered metal treads
- surfaces are rarely cleaned or inspected between fire drills
- evacuees may be unfamiliar with the route and moving quickly
- poor lighting on external escape routes
- risk consequence is high—a fall during evacuation can block the route for everyone behind
Specification considerations
When specifying anti-slip for fire escapes, consider:
- substrate type (steel, aluminium, concrete, chequer plate)
- whether treads are open or closed
- the condition of existing coatings or paint
- whether stair nosing visibility markings are also required
- access constraints (scaffolding, working at height)
Use the Specification checklist to structure your brief.
For stair nosing options: Stair nosing