Home / The tests
Method & accreditation
Two tests the HSE recognises
Slip resistance is invisible and changes over time. Two complementary methods measure it properly — and we’re accredited for both.
| Principle | A calibrated rubber slider swings across the floor, reproducing a slipping heel |
|---|---|
| Reads | Pendulum Test Value (PTV) |
| Conditions | Wet & dry, three swing directions |
| Slider | Slider 96 (shod) / Slider 55 (barefoot), as appropriate |
| Standard | BS 7976-2 |
| Low-risk | PTV 36+ |
| PTV | Slip risk |
|---|---|
| 0–24 | High |
| 25–35 | Moderate |
| 36 + | Low |
| Principle | Measures the microscopic roughness that breaks through contaminants to grip footwear |
|---|---|
| Reads | Surface roughness, Rz (microns) |
| Best for | Contaminated areas — kitchens, factories, wash-downs |
| Used with | The pendulum, to track change over time |
| Standard | BS EN 16165 family |
| Low-risk | Rz above 20 |
| Rz | Slip risk |
|---|---|
| < 10 | High |
| 10–20 | Moderate |
| > 20 | Low |
Standards
- BS 7976-2 — operation of the pendulum tester.
- BS EN 16165 — current standard for measuring surface slip resistance (superseded BS EN 13036-4).
- UKSRG guidelines — how results are interpreted (we’re a UKSRG member).
Every duty holder must manage slip risk — employers, facilities managers, and in care settings the CQC, which expects it to be actively assessed and controlled.
Surface Performance is entirely independent — no connection to any flooring manufacturer, treatment company or equipment maker, and no commission from anyone. UKAS-accredited (UKAS Testing Laboratory No. 7933, ISO/IEC 17025), and recognised by RoSPA, FIFA, World Rugby, the ITF and FIH for related work.
Laboratory product testing
Our environmentally controlled laboratory (to ISO 291) tests more than 300 flooring products a year — tiles, stone, resin, vinyl, decking and more — and can issue slip-resistance certification or support product development. Useful if you want a floor tested before you buy it.
Order a test
Get a quote
Send the surface type, the rough area in square metres and where you are in Berkshire. A fixed, no-obligation quote comes back — usually the same working day.