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When Should You Test Flooring for Slip Resistance?

Many building owners find themselves in trouble after a refurbishment or new build, because the flooring is unexpectedly slippery when wet. An entrance lobby, restroom, pool deck, spa, or factory floor are common locations where this problem occurs. When should flooring be tested for slip resistance? Some architects might say, “Never.” Many lawyers might say, … Continue reading “When Should You Test Flooring for Slip Resistance?”

Slip-and-fall Fraud — Some Clues

How can you avoid slip-and-fall scams on your property? First and foremost, eliminate hazards. The initial step is testing floor slip resistance before a fall is reported. Failing that, pay attention when someone reports a slip, even if it didn’t lead to a fall or injury. That report put you on notice — you can’t … Continue reading “Slip-and-fall Fraud — Some Clues”

Does ANSI Tile Spec A137.1 help protect you from liability for slipping accidents?

If you specify or buy flooring based on a minimum wet dynamic coefficient of friction of 0.42, you may be vulnerable to charges of negligence if a slipping injury occurs on that floor. Here we tell you why, and how to avoid the situation. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) issued its standard A137.1, “Specifications for … Continue reading “Does ANSI Tile Spec A137.1 help protect you from liability for slipping accidents?”

Head Off Litigation with Third-Party Confidential Periodic Floor Slip Resistance Testing

Slips and falls can result from a wide range of causes. To avoid litigation your commercial property needs to be immune to claims that your negligence caused an injury. The most effective way of doing this is to have Safety Direct America periodically slip test your floors for slip resistance, and have your floor care … Continue reading “Head Off Litigation with Third-Party Confidential Periodic Floor Slip Resistance Testing”

Improving the World’s Most Sophisticated Floor Slip-Resistance Safety Standards

In June’s post we discussed situation-specific slip resistance safety standards, which reflect the use or function of a floor and the friction (coefficient of friction) demands placed on it. Many U.S. floor friction standards are “one size fits all” — for instance, a wet dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) of 0.43 is considered adequate for … Continue reading “Improving the World’s Most Sophisticated Floor Slip-Resistance Safety Standards”

Situation-Specific Floor Slip Resistance Testing Standards

In the USA, pedestrian slip resistance standards for flooring have traditionally been pass-fail. For instance, a coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.60 might be considered “safe” but 0.59 was “not safe.” This applied to any situation provided the floor was level. Recently the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has published some standards that are a … Continue reading “Situation-Specific Floor Slip Resistance Testing Standards”

Misleading ASTM C 1028 Friction Test Continues to Wreak Havoc in the USA

Misguided investments of hundreds of millions of dollars in slippery flooring … pain, suffering, and financial losses to accident victims and their families … lawsuits by the thousands … and lack of consumer confidence in ceramic tile and other hard flooring: these are some of the consequences of a poorly-conceived floor “slip-resistance” test — ASTM … Continue reading “Misleading ASTM C 1028 Friction Test Continues to Wreak Havoc in the USA”

Anti-Slip Transparent Coating Lets Hotels Eliminate Tub/Shower Mats

Most hotels and motels with slippery bathtub and shower floors have been using suction cup mats to give bathers safer footing, albeit only on a small part of the slippery surface. These mats need to be laundered daily or they will harbor bacteria, foot fungus and mold. Because of the laundering the mats deteriorate quickly … Continue reading “Anti-Slip Transparent Coating Lets Hotels Eliminate Tub/Shower Mats”

Safe Coefficient of Friction Values for Inclined Surfaces (Ramps)

At Safety Direct America, we are experts in slip resistance (or coefficient of friction) testing. There is little information available in regards to what COF is required for different angles of pedestrian ramps.This blog entry discusses some published information on the subject of how much coefficient of friction is needed on various types of ramps … Continue reading “Safe Coefficient of Friction Values for Inclined Surfaces (Ramps)”