The following technical information on this page focusses on the test method that Surface 360 use to assess floor slip resistance of their product ranges.
Slip resistance testing of floors is aimed at people who need to perform accurate measurements of floor slipperiness, which should allow them to make an informed decision when they choose a new floor or wish to monitor an existing one.
Slips and trips are one of the most common cause of injury in a workplace, a home environment and outdoors. It is suggested that most of these accidents are slips, most of which happen when floor surfaces are contaminated, for example by water, grease, talc, and other similar substances.
Many European flooring manufacturers use ramp-type tests to classify the slipperiness of their products before sale.
Such tests are generally carried out using German National Standard test methods (DIN 51130:20045 and DIN 51097:19924).
• DIN 51130 uses heavily-cleated EN:ISO 20345 safety boots with motor oil contamination
• DIN 51097 uses barefoot operators with a soap solution as the contaminant.
The R scale runs from R9 to R13. R9 is slippery when wet, and R13 the least slippery when wet.
Floor surfaces that are classified by the DIN 51130 standard as R9 (or in some instances R10) will be slippery when used in wet or greasy conditions.
TABLE 1:
| Classification | Slip Angle (°) |
|---|---|
| R9 | 6 – 10 |
| R10 | 10 – 19 |
| R11 | 19 – 27 |
| R12 | 27 – 35 |
| R13 | 35 + |
Floor surfaces that are classified by the DIN 51097 standard as A (and in many instances B) will be slippery when wet.
The ABC scale classified by the DIN 51097 standard runs from A to C, as obvious as it sounds.
A will be slippery when wet. In some but not all instances, B will be slippery when wet, and C the least slippery when wet.
TABLE 2:
| Classification | Slip Angle (°) |
|---|---|
| A | 12 – 17 |
| B | 18 – 23 |
| C | 24 + |
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