Flooring Slip Test

Emily Fraser

02 September 2016

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Last week, we broke down and explained exactly what SRC testing is and how it’s carried out. We also mentioned that on top of testing the slip resistance of your safety footwear, it is also important to test the slip resistance of flooring. So now, we’re going to explain floor slip testing, how its carried out and what the results mean.

As we mentioned in our SRC blog, slips, trips and falls are the leading cause of major incidents and injuries in the work place, contributing to over a third to be precise! That’s a lot of potential accidents waiting to happen, that could be prevented, which is why it is important for any business to have adequate flooring and footwear to combat this.

Unlike suppliers of safety footwear testing their footwear, most slip resistant floor testing is carried out on site using a portable machine. There are a few reliable and robust methods that can be used to test flooring. This is essential because flooring, along with footwear, need to work together to provide the highest possible slip resistance.

The most popular method of floor testing is the coefficient of friction (CoF) Pendulum Test. The pendulum slip test essentially gives a reliable and definitive answer as to whether your floor is fit for purpose, on both wet and dry conditions.

The portable pendulum is based on a swinging elevated shoe that sweeps over a set of flooring. It is designed to measure the slip at the point when the heel hits the floor, as this is where the majority of slips occur. The pendulum being portable also means that the conditions that slips actually happen in is being tested, adding to the reliability of the test.

When the replicated heel or shoe strikes the floor a pendulum test value is given. A soon as the shoe hits the surface, it then stays connected for 127mm, carrying a marker that resembles a needle. This marker then stops at the given level of slip resistance on the floor, therefore determining the slip resistance and suitability of the floor.

The HSE have guidelines set out to classify the slip potential from pendulum test values:

	Pendulum Test Value
High Risk	0 – 24
Moderate Risk	25 – 35
Low Risk	>36

The test works and accurately give ratings of slip on clean and dry floors, but also wet or contaminated floors. All these conditions will have a direct and measurable effect on the Pendulum Test Value (PVT). The test also needs to be operated and the results interpreted by a trained specialist.

It goes without saying that a low risk flooring is ideal and where a companies PVT should. If your flooring is rated as high risk, then you probably need to get that sorted out.

Knowing you have safety footwear that has adequate SRC ratings (like all of our safety footwear and wellingtons, we know how to keep you safe) and satisfactory flooring means you can be comfortable knowing that your workers are suitably protected and have a considerable less chance of slipping while at work.

So there you have it, we’ve explained what SRC testing is and how your floor can be tested. Don’t say we don’t spoil you….

Connect with us today!

If you're struggling with slips at the workplace, contact us for your free safety footwear and on-site consultation today.

If you need your floor tested go to http://www.pendulumsliptest.co.uk/ or email Glenn.mac@pendulumsliptest.co.uk and book your pendulum test today. All photographs are courtsey of Pendulum Slip Test.

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