At Safety Direct America, our mission has always been simple: help prevent slips and falls by accurately measuring and improving the slip resistance of floors.
For many years, professionals in the United States have struggled with a major problem in the field of floor safety. Despite the enormous number of slip and fall incidents that occur every year, there is still no widely accepted modern test method in the United States for measuring the slip resistance of floors.
The ASTM F13 committee, which is responsible for slip resistance standards in the United States, has spent decades discussing the issue but has not produced a clear, modern, published test method for evaluating the slip resistance of floors used in buildings.
Meanwhile, much of the rest of the developed world has already solved this problem.
Countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and many nations across Europe have long relied on variations of the pendulum slip resistance test to evaluate walking surface safety. These tests have been refined and updated over time and are widely used by architects, building owners, and regulators to assess floor safety.
Because of this gap in American standards, a group of independent floor safety experts came together to create a new organization dedicated to bringing scientifically sound testing methods to the United States.
That organization is the American Floor Safety Alliance.
The Purpose of the American Floor Safety Alliance
The American Floor Safety Alliance (AFSA) was created to publish clear, practical standards for evaluating floor slip resistance using methods that align with internationally recognized testing practices.
AFSA is composed of professionals who specialize in measuring slip resistance and evaluating walking surface safety. Unlike many individuals involved in the slip and fall industry, AFSA members are not full-time litigation experts and are not involved in selling flooring products.
Our focus is simple: accurate testing, reliable standards, and safer floors.
By publishing independent standards and test methods, AFSA aims to provide building owners, architects, flooring specifiers, and municipal officials with reliable tools to identify hazardous surfaces and prevent slip and fall incidents before they occur.
Introducing AFSA FS101-25 Pendulum Testing
Safety Direct America is proud to announce that we now provide slip resistance testing using the AFSA FS101-25 pendulum test method.
The FS101-25 method was developed to closely align with modern pendulum testing procedures used internationally, including those used in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
While ASTM E303 is often referenced in the United States, the FS101-25 method incorporates improvements that more closely reflect the current international approach to pendulum testing and floor safety evaluation.
By using a method aligned with global testing practices, the FS101-25 test provides building owners and design professionals with a clearer understanding of how safe a floor surface truly is.
The American Floor Safety Alliance – To Stop Slips!
Why Accurate Slip Resistance Testing Matters
Slippery floors are one of the leading causes of preventable injuries in buildings, workplaces, and public spaces.
Accurate slip resistance testing allows property owners and designers to:
- Identify hazardous floor surfaces
- Verify the safety of flooring materials before installation
- Evaluate existing floors that may present slip risks
- Implement effective solutions to improve floor traction
Reliable testing helps prevent accidents, reduce liability, and most importantly protect the people who use those spaces every day.
Moving Floor Safety Forward
The creation of the American Floor Safety Alliance represents an important step toward bringing modern, scientifically sound slip resistance testing standards to the United States.
At Safety Direct America, we are proud to support this effort and to offer AFSA FS101-25 pendulum testing services to clients who want accurate, reliable information about the safety of their floors.
If you would like to learn more about pendulum slip resistance testing or schedule a floor safety evaluation, contact Safety Direct America today.
Safer floors start with accurate measurements.