Australian standards for slip resistance in line marking: is your site compliant with AS 4586 and AS 4663?

Jun 16, 2026

Serious injuries caused by slips, trips and falls are extremely common in commercial, industrial and public areas in Australia.

Most property owners know to watch for cracked or uneven pavement, but the slip resistance of their line marking is often overlooked. Which can lead to accidents, insurance claims and legal liability that were entirely avoidable in the first place.

Whether you manage a car park, warehouse, shopping centre, school or industrial facility, the line marking on your site is subject to Australian Standards. Meeting those standards is quite simple and cost effective, in comparison to the consequences of not meeting them. If an incident occurs, the ramifications are far greater than any routine fixes.

In Australia, slip resistance for pedestrian surfaces is assessed under AS 4586 and AS 4663. Here is what those standards mean for your site.

What are AS 4586 and AS 4663?

AS 4586 covers the classification of slip resistance for new pedestrian surface materials.

AS 4663 covers the in-field testing of surfaces already installed.

Together they give property owners and contractors a consistent way to assess whether a surface provides adequate traction under the conditions it will actually be used in.

These standards set the agreed benchmark for what constitutes reasonable care.

If your line marking does not meet the required slip resistance for your environment and someone is injured, investigators will ask whether reasonable steps were taken to manage that risk.

In some circumstances, inadequate slip resistance contributes directly to liability exposure.

Who is responsible?

If you are a property owner, business operator or facility manager, you carry obligations under workplace health and safety legislation to maintain a safe premises.

If you hire line marking contractors to carry out this type of job for you, they become responsible for supplying and installing products that meet specifications and industry standards.

The ongoing responsibility for maintaining a safe surface typically sits with whoever controls the site.

This means slip resistance needs to be thought about at the planning stage, not after something goes wrong.

In our experience it rarely comes up during the quoting process and most clients have never been asked about it.

How slip resistance is measured

Slip resistance measures the traction a surface provides under specific conditions. For line marking applications it is assessed using one of two rating systems.

P-ratings (wet pendulum test)

P-ratings measure the dynamic friction between footwear and a wet surface. They run from P0, which carries a very high slip risk, through to P5, which carries a very low slip risk.

Most pedestrian environments in Australia require a minimum of P3 or higher.

R-ratings (oil-wet ramp test)

R-ratings are used mostly in industrial settings and assess slip resistance under conditions where oils, chemicals or heavy soiling are likely. They run from R9 at the lower end of grip through to R13 at maximum grip.

The appropriate rating depends on what the surface is exposed to.

What rating does your site require?

The right answer depends on your environment. The following is a general guide, though professional testing is the only reliable way to confirm your specific requirements.

Standard car parks

Most pedestrian accessible car parks require a minimum of P3 or R10. This provides adequate traction for normal foot traffic while remaining practical to clean and maintain.

Accessible ramps and pathways

Ramps designed for wheelchairs, mobility aids and pedestrians in wet conditions typically require a higher rating, commonly P4 or R11. The steeper the slope and the more exposure to rain, the more important this becomes.

Industrial areas and loading zones

Areas exposed to water, oils, chemicals or heavy vehicle traffic may require ratings above R11 depending on site conditions and the results of a formal risk assessment.

If you are unsure where to start, a professional slip testing company can assess the surface and give you a clear result.

How slip-resistant line marking is achieved

The most practical way to achieve compliance is by incorporating slip-resistant aggregates into the line marking material during installation.

The aggregate creates surface texture that improves traction underfoot. Common systems include glass beads, anti-slip grit, polymer aggregates and specialised slip resistant additives.

The aggregate needs to be applied while the paint, thermoplastic or coating is still curing.

Once the product has fully set, achieving an effective anti-slip finish without reapplication becomes much harder.

Thermoplastic line marking can also deliver strong long term slip resistance and is particularly suited to environments that have high wear and traffic.

The upfront costs are higher but works out to be more economical over its lifetime. You don’t have to repaint or replace as often as it is far more durable.

Slip resistance does not last forever

Vehicle traffic, foot traffic, weather exposure, cleaning products and general wear all slowly break down anti-slip aggregates over time.

A surface that tested well at installation may not perform the same way two or three years later.

For most car parks and warehouses, annual inspections and remarking programs are a practical way to maintain both visibility and slip performance.

Periodic professional slip testing is reccomended for critical areas where compliance is needed.

This makes sure all surfaces still meet the required standards.

Case study: solving one hazard can create another.

Our team was called in to install cyclist dismount stencils on a steep access ramp following a series of near miss incidents. Cyclists were coming through at speed and the area had poor sightlines around doorways and corners, creating a risk of collision with pedestrians.

The client chose to install repeated dismount markings along the ramp. It looked like a straightforward fix. The problem was that the markings were applied without anti-slip aggregate to keep costs down.

Within a week, cyclists were reporting slipping on the freshly painted markings, particularly when the surface was wet and on the steepest part of the decline. One hazard had been replaced by another.

A slip resistance assessment confirmed the surface did not reach the recommended level for the slope and conditions. The markings were reinstalled with the appropriate anti-slip aggregate system and passed the required testing. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt before the issue was found.

Every safety measure needs to be assessed as part of the whole picture. A solution that reduces one risk should not introduce another.

What does slip-resistant line marking cost?

Adding anti-slip aggregates to a line marking project generally increases the installation cost by around 10 to 20 percent depending on the system and the scope of work.

Some contractors leave aggregates out to keep their quote competitive. If the site later fails a slip resistance test, the cost of redoing the project plus any incident related expenses will almost certainly end up costing more.

When you are getting quotes always ask whether anti-slip aggregates are included in the quoted price, what slip resistance rating the product is expected to achieve, whether the product has been independently tested and whether the system is suited to the specific conditions on your site.

If a contractor cannot answer those questions clearly, that tells you something.

What to do if you are unsure about your site

Professional slip testing is the right starting point.

An accredited specialist can assess your environment on the standards of your surfaces.
From there, any non-compliant areas can be addressed with the right line marking system and aggregate treatment.

Where immediate remediation is not possible, temporary warning signage in the affected areas manages the risk while the work is being scheduled.

Working with the right line marking contractor in Perth

Property owners and facility managers are not expected to know every Australian Standard.
That is what specialists are for.

At Delineation Line Marking we are members of the Road Marking Industry Association of Australia and stay current with AS 4586, AS 4663 and industry best practice.

If a question falls outside our scope, we connect clients with the right specialists to get a straight answer.

We work across Perth, Mandurah, Rockingham, Bunbury, Busselton and regional Western Australia.

We pride ourselves on line marking that is safe, durable and compliant for the long term.

Overall

Compliant slip resistance requires the right product, correct installation, ongoing maintenance and professional testing.

The cost of getting it right is almost always less than the cost of dealing with an incident after something goes wrong.

If you manage a car park, warehouse, school or industrial facility in Western Australia and you are not sure whether your current line marking meets AS 4586 or AS 4663, get in touch with the Delineation team.

We can walk you through what options would be best for you and help you achieve compliance.