Every business must have a non-slippery floor in order to provide the best possible safety and prevent unintentional falls. The material of the floor should be selected with care so that it is appropriate for the intended use and the surrounding environment. As a result, the ability of a floor to resist slipping is used to evaluate its overall quality. The slickness of a floor may be assessed in several ways.
The Pendulum Test:
It’s an anti-slip test that measures the friction of a flooring material when a foot is placed on it. In the HSE and the UKSRG, it is a very effective technique. A swinging arm sweeps over a certain region of the floor in this test. Arms have a rubber heel or slider that moves over a specific region of the floor.
Why is it so popular?
- This test shows the flooring material’s real-time slip resistance.
- For many years, this test has consistently shown reliable findings.
- It’s portable and easy to get on the required place. As a result, it’s portable and easy to set up.
BS 7976 is a standard pendulum test that determines whether or not a surface is safe for people to walk on. External pavement is covered by EN 1341, while natural stone modular tiles are covered by EN 14231. Because the rubber slider at the end of the arm might vary, the previously indicated criteria are subject to change. Two kinds of sliders are often used: slider 96 represents the usual pedestrian’s footwear, while slider 55 indicates barefoot. Consequently, the surface qualities of the same product may differ. In order to get the most accurate results, you should test every surface with both kinds of rubber sliders.
Uses of Pendulum Test
public places, hotels, restaurants, stadiums, airports and more.
PTV values are classified into:
- High Risk is 0-24.
- Moderate Risk is 24-35.
- Low risk is 36+.
Points to know:
- Slip resistance testing must be performed before the installation of any floor covering material.
- The Pendulum test may classify any surface into the very low, low, moderate, or high propensity for slide.
- In the pendulum technique, two separate rubber slides are employed.
- Anti-slip testing in the UK is most often performed using the Pendulum and Ramp tests.
