FAQs

Floor

• How can I obtain a PTV for a product?

  The manufacturer should have an initial PTV for a product. Best practise is to test the floor after installation.
  Several members of the Group offer this service. All surfaces should be pendulum tested according to the UKSRG Guidelines. It is important to remember that many in service products will change in terms of slip resistance. Wear or even the installation process can have a significant effect on slip resistance.

  To find a member able to undertake testing go to ‘Find a Member’ and select the filter ‘Slip Testing (Pendulum)’.

  Accelerated wear testing is available and will allow for a better decision before installation.

• Do different standards apply to different flooring materials?

  Yes, there are many standards for flooring materials not all include reference to slip resistance or testing. In some of the standards testing for slip resistance is detailed, not all use the most suitable pendulum slider for the application and not all use a pendulum. You may be required to use a product standard to meet a product specification or to obtain a CE or UKCA mark, however, using the UKSRG Guidelines will help you understand the slip potential of any flooring material. You may want to assess flooring in this way in addition to any flooring-specific standards.
  It is useful to note that testing to standards is usually carried out on ex-factory products. These products may change during installation and during use. The Guidelines will also assist you in considering the effects of cleaning, wear and use of the area into which the flooring will be installed.
  Wear characteristics of a flooring material can be assessed by use of an accelerated wear machine.

• Can I prevent my deck from becoming slippery?

  Yes. The surface of the deck needs to be kept clean and clear of mildew and algal growth. The Timber Decking and Cladding Association provides guidance on how and when to clean you deck on the Deck Maintenance page. Anti-slip decking products can also be fitted retrospectively, the TDCA can help you locate suitable suppliers. Decking products are available with anti-slip inclusions, which would avoid the problem.
  To help manage risk monitoring the slip resistance of decking can be useful, see our members list for providers of this service.

Footwear

• Can you test the Slip Resistance of Footwear?

  The UKSRG has a Footwear Guidance document which provides information about this topic.

General

• All our floors are internal, clean and dry, why do I need a slip test?

  Whilst slips are unlikely on clean and dry surfaces, they can still occur and you can still find yourself the subject of a costly compensation claim. Fraudulent slip claims can and are made regardless of surface. As compensation claims are typically brought to Court around 3 years after the accident a record of safe floors is imperative if a successful defence is to be made.
  Ultimately it is rare that clean and dry floors will fail to provide a safe level of grip, maintaining floors in this condition is the best way to prevent slips.

• Do different standards apply to different flooring materials?

  Yes, there are many standards for flooring materials not all include reference to slip resistance or testing. In some of the standards testing for slip resistance is detailed, not all use the most suitable pendulum slider for the application and not all use a pendulum. You may be required to use a product standard to meet a product specification or to obtain a CE or UKCA mark, however, using the UKSRG Guidelines will help you understand the slip potential of any flooring material. You may want to assess flooring in this way in addition to any flooring-specific standards.
  It is useful to note that testing to standards is usually carried out on ex-factory products. These products may change during installation and during use. The Guidelines will also assist you in considering the effects of cleaning, wear and use of the area into which the flooring will be installed.
  Wear characteristics of a flooring material can be assessed by use of an accelerated wear machine.

Pendulum

• How can I obtain a PTV for a product?

  The manufacturer should have an initial PTV for a product. Best practise is to test the floor after installation.
  Several members of the Group offer this service. All surfaces should be pendulum tested according to the UKSRG Guidelines. It is important to remember that many in service products will change in terms of slip resistance. Wear or even the installation process can have a significant effect on slip resistance.

  To find a member able to undertake testing go to ‘Find a Member’ and select the filter ‘Slip Testing (Pendulum)’.

  Accelerated wear testing is available and will allow for a better decision before installation.

• Do I need training to use the pendulum?

  We would recommend training with an experienced operator. Pendulum manufacturers offer training on their test machines.
  You can find manufacturers and experts who provide training in our member list.

• Can I have my pendulum calibrated outside the UK?

  Yes, we would advise that you look for a laboratory or test house with suitable certification for performing the calibration.

Standards

• What is BS EN 16165 Pendulum floor slip testing?

  BS EN 16165 describes the specification, testing and calibration of the pendulum floor slip test device.
  BS EN 16165 is widely recognised as the most accurate floor slip test method, recommended by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the UK Slip Resistance Group.
  The data generated may be interpreted by referring to the HSE website or UKSRG Guidelines.

• I have a PTV/SRV value from BS 7976 test, is this the same as a BS EN 16165 PTV?

  BS EN 16165 replaced BS 7976 in 2021. If the test was done according to the UKSRG Guidelines, the test results should be similar.

• I have a PTV/SRV value from a product specific British Standard test, is this the same as a BS 7976 PTV?

  Probably. But not necessarily. Whilst the pendulum will act in the same way on all floor surfaces tested, different methods can involve different sliders or contamination, which may or may not be representative of end use. For most floors you should seek wet PTV’s ≥36 using the Slider 96, for barefoot areas seek wet PTV’s ≥36 using Slider 55 and Slider 96.

• Which slip test method is most appropriate?

  From a safety point of few there are very few scenarios where the BS EN 16165 pendulum operated to the latest UKSRG Guidelines will not provide the most appropriate measure of slip resistance.
  For CE / UKCA or other appropriate product standard requirements you may need to test to those specific standards.

• What values must my floor achieve to ‘pass’ the slip test?

  It is important to note that Pendulum testing should not be considered as providing a pass/fail value. The legal requirement is that the surface is safe, posing an acceptably low risk of slip in the conditions of end use. It is the responsibility of the duty holder to manage the risk of slipping, taking into account foreseeable contamination.

  Many factors can affect the risk of a slip. The Slip Potential Model provides a framework on which to base a risk assessment.

  UKSRG members can provide a suitable risk assessment.

• What does the law require outside of the UK in terms of Slip Resistance?

  Each country has its own requirements.

• Do different standards apply to different flooring materials?

  Yes, there are many standards for flooring materials not all include reference to slip resistance or testing. In some of the standards testing for slip resistance is detailed, not all use the most suitable pendulum slider for the application and not all use a pendulum. You may be required to use a product standard to meet a product specification or to obtain a CE or UKCA mark, however, using the UKSRG Guidelines will help you understand the slip potential of any flooring material. You may want to assess flooring in this way in addition to any flooring-specific standards.
  It is useful to note that testing to standards is usually carried out on ex-factory products. These products may change during installation and during use. The Guidelines will also assist you in considering the effects of cleaning, wear and use of the area into which the flooring will be installed.
  Wear characteristics of a flooring material can be assessed by use of an accelerated wear machine.

Testing

• Why do I need dry testing?

  Dry testing is an important part of the conditioning of the slider edge. If dry testing is not possible it should be noted. On some surfaces it is possible the wet data generated may be affected if dry testing is not undertaken.

  There is often a relationship between the dry and wet data which can inform an experienced operator of potential problems.

  Dry testing can be useful both to demonstrate that the floor is safe in the dry and may help to identify possible cleaning issues.

• What is BS EN 16165 Pendulum floor slip testing?

  BS EN 16165 describes the specification, testing and calibration of the pendulum floor slip test device.
  BS EN 16165 is widely recognised as the most accurate floor slip test method, recommended by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the UK Slip Resistance Group.
  The data generated may be interpreted by referring to the HSE website or UKSRG Guidelines.

• I have a PTV/SRV value from BS 7976 test, is this the same as a BS EN 16165 PTV?

  BS EN 16165 replaced BS 7976 in 2021. If the test was done according to the UKSRG Guidelines, the test results should be similar.

• How can I obtain a PTV for a product?

  The manufacturer should have an initial PTV for a product. Best practise is to test the floor after installation.
  Several members of the Group offer this service. All surfaces should be pendulum tested according to the UKSRG Guidelines. It is important to remember that many in service products will change in terms of slip resistance. Wear or even the installation process can have a significant effect on slip resistance.

  To find a member able to undertake testing go to ‘Find a Member’ and select the filter ‘Slip Testing (Pendulum)’.

  Accelerated wear testing is available and will allow for a better decision before installation.

• I have a PTV/SRV value from a product specific British Standard test, is this the same as a BS 7976 PTV?

  Probably. But not necessarily. Whilst the pendulum will act in the same way on all floor surfaces tested, different methods can involve different sliders or contamination, which may or may not be representative of end use. For most floors you should seek wet PTV’s ≥36 using the Slider 96, for barefoot areas seek wet PTV’s ≥36 using Slider 55 and Slider 96.

• Does an R9/R10/R11/R12/R13 value equate to a PTV?

  See Answer …”What is DIN51130 DIN51097 ramp testing?“

• Which slip test method is most appropriate?

  From a safety point of few there are very few scenarios where the BS EN 16165 pendulum operated to the latest UKSRG Guidelines will not provide the most appropriate measure of slip resistance.
  For CE / UKCA or other appropriate product standard requirements you may need to test to those specific standards.

• What is DIN51130 DIN51097 ramp testing?

  Ramp testing is used as a measure of slip resistance and is the critical angle at which two test persons walking in a controlled manner, shod in standard footwear or barefoot, on an inclined plane consisting of the surface being tested and a contaminant reach the limit of safe walking. The angle of slip determines the coefficient of friction.
  In 2021 BS 7976, DIN 51130 and DIN 51097 were superseded by BS EN 16165. Whereas DIN 51130 categorised the surface with an R rating (R9/R10/R11/R12 and R13) and DIN 51097 an ABC rating EN 16165 contains no such categories. Specification is solely down to each individual country. Consequently BS EN 16165 does not contain these ratings. However, in Germany DIN EN 16165 has a national forward which uses the R and ABC ratings to specify floors. The rating remains the same as in both DIN 51130 and DIN 51097. If an R or ABC rating is required, it is advisable to reference the DIN EN 16165.
  Each R and ABC rating has a range and so it is not possible to say that, for example, an R10 will be suitable as a slip resistant floor. There can be significant differences across the range in each of the ratings. A surface that is say, at the top of the R9 category may not be much different to a surface at the bottom of the R10 rating.
  R values obtained from the shod ramp test are generated using oil as the contaminant between standard cleated boots and the surface. ABC values are obtained from the barefoot ramp test and generated using soapy water as the contaminant between the barefoot and the surface. Due to these different contaminants and soles (cleated boot and skin) it is not possible to obtain a correlation between each ramp tests or the pendulum test which uses water as the contaminant between the surface and a standard rubber. Therefore, you cannot convert R or ABC ratings to pendulum values.
  Whereas both ramp tests may have their value they cannot be used for onsite testing and so only ‘ex-factory’ ratings can be generated. It is useful to remember that in service and in the event of an accident the floor will have to be measured with a portable machine and both the HSE and the UKSRG recommend the pendulum.
  Historically, R ratings have been used by architects’, designers etc. and there are other areas and applications that use R ratings (generally specifications that have been generated for use across European countries and include the UK) or ABC ratings (shower areas, swimming pools etc.) along with some British and European standards but if using R or ABC ratings to specify floors it would be wise to know the performance history of products used in the past and how the ratings relate to the application.

• What do PTV, SRV, Rz, R value, A B C classification, mean?

  PTV – Pendulum Test Value
  SRV – Slip Resistance Value
  Rz – Surface Microroughness Parameter
  R value – A classification from DIN EN 16165 ramp testing.
  ABC value – A classification from DIN EN 16165 ramp testing.

• What values must my floor achieve to ‘pass’ the slip test?

  It is important to note that Pendulum testing should not be considered as providing a pass/fail value. The legal requirement is that the surface is safe, posing an acceptably low risk of slip in the conditions of end use. It is the responsibility of the duty holder to manage the risk of slipping, taking into account foreseeable contamination.

  Many factors can affect the risk of a slip. The Slip Potential Model provides a framework on which to base a risk assessment.

  UKSRG members can provide a suitable risk assessment.

• Where can I hire a surface roughness meter?

  We are not aware of anyone hiring out the meter itself.
  Contact the supplier of a roughness meter.

• How do you measure slip resistance in barefoot situations?

  The HSE and UKSRG recommend the use of the pendulum with Slider 55 in barefoot areas.

• How do UKSRG Guidelines relate to vehicular traffic in car carks?

  The UKSRG focuses on pedestrian safety, which does not extend to the skid resistance required by vehicles. For the pedestrians using the car park, the UKSRG Guidelines should be used to assess the slip potential, in the same way as they are used for any other pedestrian areas.

• Do you have test results available for specific products?

  No. Flooring products will differ even within product ranges and in the circumstances in which they are used. Factory product results may change during installation and in service.

  We recommend you contact one of our members who can measure the slip resistance of a specific product or surface.

• Can you test the Slip Resistance of Footwear?

  The UKSRG has a Footwear Guidance document which provides information about this topic.

• Can manhole covers & other profiled surfaces be pendulum tested?

  Yes, in relation to pedestrian safety, refer to the profiled flooring section in the UKSRG Guidelines.

• Where can I hire a pendulum tester?

  A pendulum is an instrument that requires a trained operator.
  We recommend contacting one of our members who offer this service.

• Who can test the slip resistance of my flooring?

  We suggest visiting the members page on this web site, where you can filter the membership by types of activity.

• Can I prevent my deck from becoming slippery?

  Yes. The surface of the deck needs to be kept clean and clear of mildew and algal growth. The Timber Decking and Cladding Association provides guidance on how and when to clean you deck on the Deck Maintenance page. Anti-slip decking products can also be fitted retrospectively, the TDCA can help you locate suitable suppliers. Decking products are available with anti-slip inclusions, which would avoid the problem.
  To help manage risk monitoring the slip resistance of decking can be useful, see our members list for providers of this service.

Training

• Do I need training to use the pendulum?

  We would recommend training with an experienced operator. Pendulum manufacturers offer training on their test machines.
  You can find manufacturers and experts who provide training in our member list.