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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

The principal measure is the pendulum. A weighted arm carries a rubber slider over the surface, reproducing a heel at the moment it slips, and records the result as a Pendulum Test Value. We take it wet and dry, in three directions; a reading of 36 or more sits within the low-risk band, which the HSE treats as the line to clear.

Surface texture

Surface texture is assessed alongside it. Where floors meet water or grease, the fine roughness — recorded in microns — gives moisture a path away so the surface keeps its grip. It complements 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• BS EN 16165 — the current standard for measuring surface slip resistance (it superseded BS EN 13036-4).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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