Pedestrian-Safe Grates

For areas with only pedestrian traffic, a Class A or Class B load-rated grate under AS 3996:2019 is required.

While Class A sufficiently accommodates the loading of pedestrian traffic, Class B provides a higher factor of safety for public areas that may be subjected to occasional heavy loading such as maintenance vehicles or equipment that may pass over the grate.

Absolutely. SVC's Pedestrian-Safe Grates are specifically designed for public and commercial precincts such as main streets, train stations, and shopping centres where pedestrian volumes are high, and user safety is the number one priority.

The steel mesh surface of our pedestrian-safe grates features smaller grate openings, which prevents items from falling through the grate or heels getting caught when people walk over the grate.

A pedestrian-safe, "heel-safe" or "heelproof" grate has apertures (openings) that are small enough to prevent a high heel from penetrating it. Grate apertures must be no greater than 8mm wide in order to be considered pedestrian-safe. As a comparison, the typical grate apertures for a bike-safe forgebar grating design are 12mm wide.

In general, the standard forgebar or weaved pattern in SVC's stormwater grating range is rated as bike-safe, meaning bicycle or wheelchair wheels can safely travel over the grate surface without getting caught or stuck. The grate apertures (openings) of bike-safe grating designs are typically too large to safely accommodate high-heeled shoes such as those with a stiletto heel.

In certain applications, pedestrian areas may specify "heel-safe" or "heelproof" grates, which have smaller openings to prevent high heels from getting caught. Out of SVC's stormwater grate offerings, only our Pedestrian-Safe Grates are classed as "heel-safe" and are suitable for high-heeled shoes.

The clear opening refers to the size of the open space or void beneath a cover or grate, and typically matches the internal size of the pit chamber below. It is the most critical dimension when ordering pit covers.

Access covers and grates are usually larger than the clear opening size in order to sufficiently cover the pit beneath. It is important to note that any dimensions in the product descriptions typically refer to the nominal clear opening, not the external dimensions of the cover or grate itself. For specific product dimensions, SVC can provide technical datasheets or product drawings for accuracy.