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Method & accreditation

Two readings, one clear answer

Grip cannot be judged by eye, so we take it two complementary ways — and we are accredited for both.

The pendulum test

Grip is measured first with the pendulum. A weighted arm sweeps a rubber slider over the floor, standing in for a heel that gives way, and records the result as a Pendulum Test Value. We take it wet as well as dry, in three directions; a reading of 36 or more falls within the low-risk band, which the HSE treats as the line to clear.

A second reading: texture

Texture is the second reading. Where floors meet rain, spray or grease, the fine surface roughness — measured in microns — gives moisture somewhere to drain, so the surface keeps its grip. It runs alongside the pendulum rather than replacing it, and over time it reveals a floor wearing smooth before it becomes a hazard.

The standards

• BS 7976-2 — the operation of the pendulum tester.
• BS EN 16165 — the current standard for measuring surface slip resistance (it superseded BS EN 13036-4).
• UKSRG guidelines — how the results are interpreted (we are a member).

Whoever is responsible for a building holds the duty — employers, facilities managers, and in care settings the Care Inspectorate, which expects slip risk to be assessed and managed across Scotland.

Laboratory product testing

Beyond site work, our environmentally controlled laboratory (to ISO 291) examines more than 300 flooring products a year — tile, stone, resin, vinyl and decking — and can issue slip-resistance certification or support product development.

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