Slip Resistance Testing
There is a duty of care upon flooring designers, manufacturers, distributors, installers, contractors, and on the architects who specify flooring products, to ensure that flooring surfaces are 'fit for purpose' and do not pose a safety risk.
One of the key components of safety is defining how slippery the floor is; this is known as its 'slip resistance'. In fact, The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 stipulate that floors must not be slippery so that they put people's safety at risk.
UKAS-accredited, Lucideon is a leading provider of testing for slip resistance, offering both the Pendulum Test and the Ramp Test. As well as testing in our laboratories, we also offer a full on-site consultancy service regarding skid and slip, covering issues such as: cleaning regimes, maintenance, integrity of substrate, wearing or weathering of the flooring surface, presence of any sealants on the surface of the floor and trafficking patterns.
We have expertise in a range of materials, including:
- Ceramic
- Porcelain
- Granite
- Slate
- Marble
- Natural stone
- Clay pavers
- Concrete paving blocks and flags
- Cement
- Timber
- Resin finishes
- PVC and other flexible materials
- Glass
- Metals
- Plastics
We provide slip resistance testing to:
- Manufacturers - working with them to improve their products
- Architects - to advise on the slip resistance of specified products
- Contractors - to ensure that products are fit for application prior to installation
- End users - to advise facilities managers, local authorities and building owners on remedial work, undertake risk assessments and slipping accident investigation
- Detergent manufacturers to ensure that their products do not affect the slip resistance of floors
External slip and skid resistance
External public surfaces such as estate roads and driveways, footpaths, car parks, shopping complexes and retail parks should all provide a consistent level of slip resistance to prevent pedestrians from slipping and vehicles from skidding. Facilities managers, local authorities and building owners have an obligation to ensure surface resistances do not deteriorate with time due to weathering, polishing or inadequate cleaning regimes. Lucideon provides testing services to manufacturers of external surfaces prior to installation, as well as site-based services for the measurement of slip or skid resistance for a wide range of paving products. Trials to monitor the effects of various cleaning regimes or sealing compounds on slip and skid resistance, or other properties such as freeze thaw or high pressure jetting resistance can also be conducted.