As if San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico didn’t have enough economic and hurricane-damage problems, some of the streets of San Juan are paved with blue 18th-century cobblestones that are very slippery when wet. In November 2017, a cruise passenger from the mainland USA fell and broke his arm (despite being warned about … Continue reading “Cobblestones in San Juan PR: America’s Largest Slip Hazard?”
Blog
Making Your Home Pool Safer
Swimming pools are an absolute blast! Every kid’s dream is to have a full pool in their own backyard. As fun as they are, though, pools can also be dangerous and scary without proper safety features put into place. We’ve all heard, too often, of tragic accidents that happen in home pools. Those stories make … Continue reading “Making Your Home Pool Safer”
Why We Offer a “Recommended Tile Slip Test Package”
When our clients ask for an ANSI/NFSI A137.1 test we often recommend that they order a pendulum test as well. The pair of floor slip resistance tests is popular, and we offer a discounted price of $477.00 (for lab testing) when they are ordered together. The reason has to do with the A137.1 standard — … Continue reading “Why We Offer a “Recommended Tile Slip Test Package””
Dal-Tile Recommends Situation-Specific Minimum DCOF AcuTest Values
We have pointed out before that the ANSI A137.1 “DCOF AcuTest” and ANSI A326.3 minimum recommended wet dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF rating) for level wet indoor areas of 0.42 is “one size fits all” and does not consider the use of the flooring — upstairs elevator lobby, commercial kitchen, pool deck, etc. The traction … Continue reading “Dal-Tile Recommends Situation-Specific Minimum DCOF AcuTest Values”
5 Tips For Preventing Bathroom Slips
Slip and fall accidents are some of the most dangerous and costly causes of injuries around the world. And among places where such accidents happen, the bathroom is the most common by a wide margin. To help you protect yourself and your family, your friends at Safety Direct America have put together a few suggestions … Continue reading “5 Tips For Preventing Bathroom Slips”
America Gets Another Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Slip Resistance Guideline
Wet, bare feet are soft and essentially treadless, and on a slippery hard floor can be treacherous — leading to falls that sometimes cause permanent brain damage or worse. It’s crucial to provide slip-resistant surfaces at swimming pools where people (some of them sober) will be walking, playing or running (even against the rules) with … Continue reading “America Gets Another Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Slip Resistance Guideline”
What are Some Less Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?
Slips and falls account for as much as 15% of all accidental deaths every year; only motor vehicle accidents cause a larger percentage. Even when they aren’t fatal, they have a big economic impact—causing 25% of all reported injury claims per fiscal year and being responsible for 95 million days of lost work per year. … Continue reading “What are Some Less Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents?”
Pendulum: The Most Widely Used Slip Resistance Test Worldwide
The pendulum skid tester, known in the U.S. as the “British pendulum” although it was invented at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards, is the most widely used floor slip resistance tester worldwide for measuring the slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces (DCOF rating). It is a national floor slip test standard in at least 50 … Continue reading “Pendulum: The Most Widely Used Slip Resistance Test Worldwide”
ANSI Issuing Another Standard Slip Test Method for Flooring Materials
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is issuing a new test method, with minimum dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF rating), for slip resistance of hard flooring materials, wet or dry, laboratory or field testing. No minimum DCOF is provided for exterior applications. The BOT-3000E digital tribometer is used for the testing. The Secretariat for the … Continue reading “ANSI Issuing Another Standard Slip Test Method for Flooring Materials”
Slip Resistance of Basketball and Volleyball Floors
Floors for indoor sports (basketball, volleyball, gym, etc.) need careful attention to their dry slip resistance. Players must have enough traction to start and stop quickly, yet not so much that they can’t pivot rapidly. Fortunately, there are well-defined and long-accepted standards for the slip resistance of these floors, using the pendulum skid testing instrument … Continue reading “Slip Resistance of Basketball and Volleyball Floors”