Intelligent Design: Follow the instruction or the crowd?

In previous years when I have been assisting clients with their flooring requirements I have religiously stuck to the brief that a specifier has called for without questioning whether the brief matched the reality.

As with any change in direction there has to be a tipping point. So what was mine?

It was when the HSE decided that the guidance issued regarding slip resistance was out of touch with reality and introduced the Pendulum test (which apparently has nothing to do with the dance act of the same name).

THE BACKGROUND

For as long as I could remember the UK adopted the Ramp Test, a German test that was designed to test the grip of footwear. This was adapted using motor oil as the "wet" contaminant, the wet floor surface would then be increased in incline a degree at a time until the poor soul in the safety harness that was taken three steps forward, then three steps back every degree slipped.

Without mentioning how mundane this is, how open to human influence (weight changes etc), it is in essence only a reliable test if you are designing a car workshop on a ramp. So things really needed to change, and fast!

The United Kingdom refers to a pendulum test where a rubber shoe (Slider 96 for shod foot pedestrians - Slider 55 for barefoot pedestrians) passes over the surface being tested several times in different directions and the mean values are then used in both wet & dry conditions to determine the PTV (Pendulum Test Value) rating.

The following text is taken directly from the HSE website:

The pendulum CoF test (also known as the portable skid resistance tester, the British pendulum, and the TRRL pendulum) is the subject of a British Standard, BS 7976: Parts1-3, 2002.2

The method is based on a swinging, imitation heel (using a standardised rubber soling sample), which sweeps over a set area of flooring in a controlled manner. The slipperiness of the flooring has a direct and measurable effect on the pendulum test value (PTV) given.

The preparation of the standard rubber sliders is detailed in BS 7976: Parts 1-3, 2002 and the UKSRG guidelines. There is a small difference between the two methods of slider preparation, and in certain limited situations the two methods may give slightly different results. HSE and the UKSRG believe the changes in the latest version of the UKSRG guidelines (2011) give the most useful results.

Research has confirmed the pendulum to be a reliable and accurate test, so HSE has adopted it as its standard test method for assessing floor slipperiness in both dry and contaminated conditions. However, to use it reliably, it needs to be operated and interpreted by a suitably trained and competent person. For profiled floors, several tests in different directions may be required to obtain a good understanding of profiled surfaces. So, only an experienced operator should assess these types of floors. 

The classifications use a u value which is akin to a coefficient of friction, this runs from 0-99 in scale, and the three parameters are set thus:

• High Slip Potential:            0 - 24
• Moderate Slip Potential:     25 - 35
• Low Slip Potential:            36 and above

So is this the be all & end all? Far from it. Considerations for what classifications apply in which areas also come into play. For instance the entrances of an indoor shopping centre would need a higher slip resistance than the centre as contaminents could have been cleared naturally by footsteps. Also consider whether there are mats, canopies etc. One major consideration would also be whether the floor is on a ramped area, the angle of the ramp impacts on the minimum PTV requirements.

SO WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THAT PICTURE AT THE TOP?

When specifying a floor it is important to think of where the "track" of footfall will be. Do you specify a strong slip resistant surface throughout the whole building? Or do you actually think a little further? Where are the people likely to walk? In an office building it is likely that the majority of the people in the building will know where to go to, so from an entrance area think about where they are heading. Only a minority of people are likely to head only to the reception desk.

Do you specify the same slip resistant surface on the ground floor reception of a multi-occupancy building as you do on the 7th floor reception? There are so many variables, and that is where Bedrock Tiles are in a great position to assist you at the early stages of your design. Calling on our expertise & experience can really enhance your design, and give your client the surface finish above & beyond their brief.

SO HOW CAN WE HELP?

Call us now on 01604 330003 or contact the author via email julian@bedrock-tiles.com