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.
1 / Pendulum slip testing
A weighted arm swings a calibrated rubber slider across the floor to reproduce a slipping heel, recording grip as a Pendulum Test Value. We test wet and dry, in three swing directions.
| PTV result | Slip risk |
|---|---|
| 0–24 | High |
| 25–35 | Moderate |
| 36 + | Low |
36 or above is the HSE’s low-risk threshold.
2 / Surface (micro) roughness
A floor needs enough microscopic roughness to break through contaminants and grip footwear. Roughness testing tracks that, and works best alongside the pendulum — especially in kitchens, factories and other areas that get wet or greasy.
| Surface roughness (Rz) | Slip risk |
|---|---|
| Below 10 | High |
| 10–20 | Moderate |
| Above 20 | Low |
Measured in microns; an Rz below 20 should be managed.
The standards
- BS 7976-2 — operation of the pendulum tester.
- BS EN 16165 — the current standard for measuring surface slip resistance (it superseded BS EN 13036-4).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.
Independent, and accredited
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. Nothing influences the figure.
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.
// Enquiry
Get your floors tested
Send the surface type, the rough area in square metres and where you are in South Yorkshire. A fixed, no-obligation quote comes back.