Analysis published many years ago by Pye of Britain’s Building Research Establishment quotes the probability of a slip (not a fall or injury) as varying with the coefficient of friction (COF) between the shoe and floor as follows: COF  Risk, 1 in … 0.40  1,000,000 0.38   100,000 0.34    10,000 0.31 … Continue reading “Cofficient of Friction and Probability of Slip”
Category: Floor slip resistance safety standards
COF vs. Pendulum Test Value (PTV to DCOF conversion table)
Pendulum slip (or skid) resistance data are usually expressed as PTV, Pendulum Test Value (or sometimes BPN, British Pendulum Number, or even SRV, Slip Resistance Value). The question has been asked, “What’s the coefficient of friction?” This number (dynamic COF – DCOF) was calculated decades ago at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards, and can … Continue reading “COF vs. Pendulum Test Value (PTV to DCOF conversion table)”
Article published in The Construction Specifier magazine talks slip resistance
John C. Sotter and George Sotter of Safety Direct America were published in the July issue of The Construction Specifier magazine with an article talking about floor slip resistance and keeping floors safe for pedestrians. The article talks about the latest International Building Code (IBC) requirements for slip resistance, and its limitations as far as … Continue reading “Article published in The Construction Specifier magazine talks slip resistance”
Protecting Your Restaurant Employees from a Slip and Fall
Creating a Safer Restaurant Kitchen Be it a fast food franchise or a Michelin-rated restaurant, a safe environment is imperative for an efficient business. The one hazard to any restaurant employee is the floor. Grease and food particles land on the floor every day and when mixed with cooks moving about the kitchen, it is … Continue reading “Protecting Your Restaurant Employees from a Slip and Fall”
The Importance of Slip Resistance Testing for Your Business
One Vital Aspect All Business Owners Should Never Forget Business owners have a myriad of tasks to cover before they start operations. One of those aspects includes the safety of all of those who will enter the premises. The main cause of workplace accidents are slips and falls, and business owners are responsible for the … Continue reading “The Importance of Slip Resistance Testing for Your Business”
Slips and Falls: To whose benefit?
The respected ancient Roman judge Lucius Cassius, when looking for who might be guilty of a crime, liked to ask, “Cui bono?” — “to whose benefit?” The guilty party is likely to be one who profited from the crime. Slips and falls leading to injury and sometimes to premature death (68 deaths per day in the … Continue reading “Slips and Falls: To whose benefit?”
Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls at Work
The Most Common Workplace Injury According to the Health and Safety Executive, slipping and falling are the cause of most workplace accidents. Every year they cost business an exorbitant amount of money in employee injuries, lost billable hours, and various other costs. Learning about the main causes of slips and falls will enable you to … Continue reading “Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls at Work”
Proposed Federal Rule for Floor Slip Resistance
The U.S. federal government’s Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is considering a petition requesting rule making to require that manufacturers of floor coverings, floor coverings with coatings, and treated floor coverings label their products’ slip resistance in accordance with an ANSI/National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) standard, B101.5. (NFSI, Safety Direct America and others offer for-fee … Continue reading “Proposed Federal Rule for Floor Slip Resistance”
New Anti-Slip Floor Design Guidelines Aid in Safe Floor Selection
After consulting with many experts in the USA and abroad, including Safety Direct America, Specialty Architectural Products (SAP) in Toledo, Ohio has distributed four-page design guidelines (Design Guide – Anti-Slip) for floor slip resistance testing. The Slip Resistance Test Guidelines are intended to help building owners, architects, interior designers, specification professionals, and graphic designers, mainly … Continue reading “New Anti-Slip Floor Design Guidelines Aid in Safe Floor Selection”
Video Explains IBC Requirements for Floor Slip Resistance
The 2012 International Building Code changed slip resistance requirements for indoor floors that may get wet in use. The previously-used ASTM C 1028 friction test method is obsolete, and testing using the AcuTest method in ANSI A137.1 slip test must show a minimum of 0.42 wet dynamic coefficient of friction — but many other factors … Continue reading “Video Explains IBC Requirements for Floor Slip Resistance”