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Method & accreditation

Two tests the HSE recognises

Slip resistance is invisible and changes over time. Two complementary methods measure it properly — and we’re accredited for both.

1 · Pendulum slip testing (PTV)

A weighted arm swings a calibrated rubber slider across the floor to reproduce a slipping heel, recording grip as a Pendulum Test Value. We test wet and dry, in three swing directions, with the correct slider for how the floor is used.

PTV result	Slip risk
0–24	High
25–35	Moderate
36 +	Low

36 or above is the HSE’s low-risk threshold.

2 · Surface (micro) roughness (Rz)

A floor needs enough microscopic roughness to break through contaminants and grip footwear. Roughness testing tracks that, and works best alongside the pendulum — especially in kitchens, factories and other areas that get wet or greasy.

Surface roughness (Rz)	Slip risk
Below 10	High
10–20	Moderate
Above 20	Low

Measured in microns; an Rz below 20 should be managed.

The standards

• BS 7976-2 — 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• BS EN 16165 — the current standard for measuring surface slip resistance (it superseded BS EN 13036-4).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 results are interpreted (we’re a UKSRG member).

Every duty holder must manage slip risk — employers, facilities managers, and in care settings the CQC, which expects it to be actively assessed and controlled.

Laboratory product testing

Beyond on-site work, our environmentally controlled laboratory (to ISO 291) tests more than 300 flooring products a year — tiles, stone, resin, vinyl, decking and more — and can issue slip-resistance certification or support product development. Useful if you want a floor tested before you buy it.

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