SLIP RESISTANCE / OCTOBER 2013

FROM George Kiagias

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DATE October 18, 2013

SLIP RESISTANCE OVERVIEW

1. Definition of Slip Resistance Testing

Floor slip resistance testing is the science of measuring the coefficient of

friction (or resistance to slip accidents) of flooring surfaces, either in a
laboratory (before or after installation) or on floors in site. Slip resistance
testing (or floor friction testing) is usually desired by the building's owner or
manager when there has been a report of a slip and fall accident, when there
has been a report of a near accident, or (preferably) before the flooring is
installed on the property. Flooring is tested using a tribometer (floor slip
resistance tester) to discover if there is a high propensity for slip and fall
accidents on it, either dry or (most often) when wet with water or lubricated
with other contaminants such as kitchen grease, hydraulic oil, etc. There have
been numerous floor slip resistance testing tribometers and lab devices
produced around the world to measure both the static (stationary) and
dynamic coefficient of friction but presently there are only a few that are
reliable for obtaining useful safety results and that have current official test
methods.

2. Methods and Standards related to Slip Resistance

The various test methods that are used to determine the slip resistance are:

• The American ASTM C 1028 test

• The FSC Friction Tester
• The Pendulum test
• The Ramp test
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The most common test methods that are used to determine the slip resistance
on a floor are attached on the template below:

Countries Standards Methods

Austria DIN 51130 Ramp Test

Switzerland DIN 51130 Ramp Test

Germany DIN 51130 Ramp Test

EN 12633 Pendulum Test
Nederlands
DIN 51130 FSC 2000
DIN 51130 Ramp Test
France
XP P 05-010 FSC 2000
UK BS 7976 Pendulum Test
Spain EN 12633 Pendulum Test
EN 12633 Pendulum Test
Sweden
DIN 51130 Ramp Test
China ASTM C 1028 Portal Horizontal Test Meter
Pendulum Test
Hong Kong BS 7976
Surface micro roughness meter
AS/NZS 4586 based
Pendulum Test
New Zealand on DIN 51130 and
Ramp Test
DIN 51097

GCC AREA EN 12633 Pendulum Test

ASTM C 1028
USA
ASTM D 2047
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3. Requirements for Skid-Resistance of floor coverings in workrooms, areas of

operation and industrial transport routes with slip danger

The evaluation group below determines the degree of skid-resistance of floor coverings
whereby R 9 group represents the lowest (i.e. very smooth) and R 13 group the highest (i.e.
very rough) requirement for slip-resistance according to the German standards DIN 51130.
For areas where particularly slippery substances prevail, a displacement potential (minimum
volume of displacement) is indicated by “V” combined with the respective figure (e.g. “V 4”
means a minimum displacement of 4 cm³ per dm²).
The following table with the classification of various areas of operation can only serve as a
guideline.

Number type of workspace R-group V-requir.

0 General workrooms
0.1 Entrance areas, inside R9
0.2 Entrance areas, outside R 11 or R10 V4
0.3 stairs, inside (possibly moist) R9
0.4 stairs, outside R 11 or R 10 V 4
0.5 toilets, changing and washrooms R 10
Recreation rooms, cantines R9
First aid rooms R9

1 Production of margarine, vegetable oils and fats

1.1 fat smelters R 13 V6
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1.2 vegetable oil refineries R 13 V4

1.3 production and packaging of margarine R 12
1.4 production and packing of vegetable fat R 12
bottling of vegetable oil
2 Dairy industries (milk processing, cheese production)
2.1 fresh milk processing including butter R 12
2.2 cheese production, storage and packing R 11
2.3 ice cream production
3 Production of sweets and chocolate
3.1 sugar digesting house R 12
3.2 cocoa production R 12
3.3 raw mixture preparation R 11
3.4 chocolate and praline production/packaging R 11
4 Production of pastries, bread (bakeries etc.)
4.1 preparation of dough (pastry) R 11
4.2 rooms where primarily fats or R 12
liquid substances are processed
4.3 rinsing (washing) rooms R 12 V4
5 abatoirs (slaughter houses), meat processing
5.1 slaughter house R 13 V 10
5.2 bowels processing R 13 V 10
5.3 meat cutting R 13 V8
5.4 sausage kitchen R 13 V8
5.5 boiled sausage department R 13 V8
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5.6 raw sausage department R 13 V6

5.7 sausage drying room R 12
5.8 intestines storage R 12
5.9 salting and smoking room R 12
5.10 poultry processing R 12 V6
5.11 cold cut processing and packaging R 12
5.12 butcher’s shops R 12 V4–V8
6 fish processing, delicatessen preparation
6.1 fish processing R 13 V 10
6.2 delicatessen preparation R 13 V6
6.3 mayonnaise production R 13 V4
7 vegetable processing
7.1 sour cabbage production R 13 V6
7.2 tinned vegetables production R 13 V6
7.3 Sterilization rooms R 12 V4
7.4 vegetable pre-processing rooms R 12 V4
8 wet areas in food and beverage industry
(as far as not otherwise covered)
8.1 storage and fermentation cellars R 10
8.2 beverage bottling, fruit juice production R 11
9 kitchens, dining rooms
9.1 gastronomic kitchens (hotels, restaurants)
9.1.1 up to 100 dishes/day R 11 V4
9.1.2 more than 100 dishes/day R 12
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9.2 kitchens in schools, nursing homes, R 12

kindergartens
9.3 kitchens in hospitals R 12
9.4 large canteens, refectories R 12 V4
9.5 fast-food kitchens R 12 V4
9.6 thawing and warm-up kitchens R 10
9.7 coffee and tea kitchens R 10
9.8 dish washing rooms
9.8.1 dish washing for 9.1; 9.4; 9.5 R 12 V4
9.8.2 dish washing for 9.2 R 11
9.8.3 dish washing for 9.3 R 12
9.9 dining rooms, canteens including corridors R9
10 cooling and deep-freeze storage
10.1 for unpacked food R 12
10.2 for packed food R 10
11 sales rooms
11.1 incoming goods (meat)
11.1.1 for unpacked meat R 11
11.1.2 for packed meat R 10
11.2 incoming goods (fish) R 11
11.3 circulation corridors for meat and sausage
11.3.1 for unpacked goods R 11
11.3.2 for packed goods R 10
11.4 circulation corridors for bread and pastry R 10
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Unpacked goods
11.5 circulation corridors for dairy and R 10
Delicatessen, unpacked goods

11.6 circulation corridors for fish products

11.6.1 for unpacked fish R 12
11.6.2 for packed fish R 11
11.7 service corridors, except no. 11.3 to 11.6 R 9
11.8 meat pre-processing
11.8.1 for meat treatment, except No. 5 R 12 V8
11.8.2 for meat processing , except No. 5 R 11
11.9 flower arranging rooms R 11 V4
11.10 sales areas with fixed baking ovens
11.10.1 for producing pastries R 11
11.10.2 for baking ready-made pastries R 10
11.11 sales areas with fixed chip pans R 12 V4
or fixed barbecue grills
11.12 sales rooms R9
11.13 foodstuff preparation for self-service sales R 10
11.14 cash desk and packing area R9
11.15 sales areas outside R 11 or R 10 V 8
Rooms in health care (hospital) and charity institutions
12.1 disinfection rooms (wet) R 11
12.2 pre-cleaning before sterilization R 10
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12.3 faeces rooms, discharge rooms R 10

unclean nursing rooms
12.4 autopsy rooms R 10
12.5 rooms for Fango and hydrotherapy R 11
12.6 washing rooms for operation theatre, R 10
gypsum plaster rooms
12.7 sanitation rooms, bathrooms R 10
12.8 rooms for medical diagnostics and R9
therapy, massage rooms
12.9 operation theatres R9
12.10 sick rooms and corridors R 10
12.11 medical practices R9
12.12 pharmacies R9
12.13 laboratories R9
12.14 hairdresser rooms R9
13 Laundry
13.1 rooms with automatic washing and R9
spin-drying machines
13.2 rooms with washing machines without R 11
spin-drying
13.3 rooms for ironing R9
14 production of concentrated feeding stuff
14.1 production of dry feeding stuff R 11
14.2 production of concentrated feeding stuff R 11 V4
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DATE October 18, 2013

using fat and water

15 leather and textile production
15.1 water workshop in tanneries R 13
15.2 rooms with meat scaling machines R 13 V 10
15.3 rooms with leather glue remnants R 13 V 10
15.5 fat rooms for gasket production R 12
15.6 dyeing rooms for textiles R 11
16 paint spraying shops
16.1 wet grinding areas R 12
17 ceramic industries
17.1 wet mills (preparation of ceramic raw mat.) R 11
17.2 mixing installations R 11 V6
(using tar, pitch, graphite, synthetic resins)
17.3 pressing installations (materials as above) R 11 V6
17.4 casting areas R 12
17.5 glazing areas R12
18 processing of glass and stones
18.1 stone cutting and grinding installations R 11
18.2 glass shaping, glass containers constr. glass R 11
18.3 glass grinding installations R 11
18.4 production of double glass windows R 11 V6
handling of siccatives
18.5 packing and dispatch of glass panes R 11 V6
handling of release agents
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18.6 glass etching and acid-polishing installations R 11

19 concrete plant
19.1 concrete washing areas R 11
20 storage areas
20.1 storage rooms for oils and fats R 12 V6
20.2 storage rooms for packed foodstuff R 10
20.3 storage areas outside R 11 or R 10 V 4
21 chemical and thermal treatment of iron and metals
21.1 pickling plant R 12
21.2 hardening plant R 12
21.3 laboratories R 11
22 metal treatment and processing, metal workshops
22.1 galvanizing plant R 12
22.2 iron casting processing R 11
22.3 mechanical processing (e.g. turning shop, R 11 V4
Punching shop, drawing shop and areas with
Increased exposure to cutting and lubricating oils
22.4 part cleaning and steam cleaning areas R 12
23 Maintenance workshops for vehicles
23.1 repair and maintenance workshops R 11
23.2 testing and working pits R 12 V4
23.3 car washing plant, washing areas R 11 V4
24 Aircraft maintenance workshops
24.1 aircraft hangars R 11
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24.2 aircraft assembly hangars R 12

24.3 aircraft washing (and de-icing) stations R 11 V4
25 sewage treatment plant
25.1 pumping stations R 12
25.2 sludge de-watering rooms R 12
25.3 trash rack rooms R 12
25.4 raised and service platforms, catwalks R 12
26 fire stations
26.1 vehicle parking lots R 12
26.2 hose servicing areas R 12
27 banks
27.1 service counter rooms R9
28 parking areas
28.1 garages, multi-storey and underground R 10
car parks (walking areas not exposed to
weathering as e.g. rain)
28.2 garages and multi-storey car parks R 11 or
exposed to weather conditions R 10 V4
28.3 parking areas outside R 11 or
R 10 V4
29 schools and kindergardens
29.1 entrance areas, corridors, recreation areas R 9
29.2 class and group rooms R9
29.3 staircases R9
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29.4 toilets, washrooms R 10

29.5 educational kitchens in schools R 10
(see also number 9)
29.6 kitchens in kindergardens R 10
(see also number 9)
29.7 woodworking engine rooms R 10
29.8 technical training rooms R 10
29.9 recreation courts (outside) R 11 or
R 10 V4
30 internal transport infrastructure (outside)
30.1 pavements R 11 or R 10 V 4
30.2 loading ramps
30.2.1 covered (with roof) R 11 or R 10 V 4
30.2.2 uncovered (fully exposed) R 12 V4
30.3 inclined ramps R 12
(e.g. for wheelchairs; loading ramps)
30.4.1 (petrol) filling stations R 12
30.4.2 filling stations, covered (with roof) R 11
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4. Correlation of the systems

R Rating Value PTV

Shod Environment (Pendulum Test Value)

R9 11-18
R10 18-34
R11 34-51
R12 51-70
R13 70+

5. Interpretation of results
Pendulum Test
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• Slip Resistance classification based on Pendulum Test Values (PTV)

Status PTV
High slip potential 0-24
Moderate slip potential 25-35
Low slip potential 36+

• Slip resistance classification based on Rz micro roughness values (

applicable for water – wet pedestrian areas)

Rz surface roughness Slip potential

Below 10 µm High
10-20 µm Moderate
20 + Low
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Ramp Test

• DIN 51130 R-Value slipperiness classification

Classification R9 R10 R11 R12 R13
Slip angle (°) 6-10 10-19 19-27 27-35 >35

• DIN 51097 slipperiness classification

Classification A B C
Slip angle (°) 12-17 18-23 >24
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Dry Floor Friction Test

Floor Friction Test Value AS/NTS 4586 Contribution of the floor

classification surface to the risk of
slipping when dry
≥ 0.40 F Moderate to very low
< 0.40 G High to very high
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Kind Regards
George Kiagias

Corporate System Engineer

Sika Services AG / Building Systems & Industry