Floor Slip Resistance Testing Services

We offer comprehensive and reliable floor slip resistance testing services to evaluate the safety of every kind of flooring surface. Utilizing methods such as the ASTM E303-22 pendulum test both in our certified lab and in the field, we assess the dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) to ensure compliance with safety standards and give you peace of mind.

Certified Floor Coefficient of Friction (COF) Testing, in the Laboratory and in the Field

Sotter Engineering Corporation provides laboratory and field independent third-party floor slip resistance testing and road skid resistance testing services all over the USA and beyond. Our floor friction slip coefficient testing expertise is unmatched in the Americas, and our integrity is untouchable.

Sotter Engineering Corporation provides specialized, certified, engineer-stamped floor, tile, and roadway dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) testing, ASTM E303 road and floor slip resistance testing, Static Coefficient of Friction tile testing (ASTM C1028 and ANSI B101.1 – reliable in dry condition only), and we also sell floor friction test instruments (such as the pendulum DCOF tester and SlipAlert/iAlert). Quick tile COF slip test turn-around in about 2-4 business days! Sotter Engineering is the tile slip coefficient testing experts!

Get a tile COF test before installation and eliminate slips. Call or email John at 949-933-6971 to request a quote for field floor slip resistance testing, or with questions regarding floor slip resistance test standards.

Lab Floor Slip Resistance Testing Services

Recommended Floor Slip Resistance Test Package

ANSI A326.3 DCOF AcuTest AND an ASTM E303-22 Pendulum DCOF floor slip resistance test: $477.00 per sample. Our lab slip resistance test package will give you a discount on two DCOF floor slip tests – one for the latest test method written for the BOT-3000E (ANSI A326.3), which sets a very low bar, and another for the latest American floor slip resistance test (the newly revised ASTM E303-22 pendulum DCOF floor slip test), which we recommend the most for assessing the real-world safety of floor surfaces based on 50 years of peer-reviewed, international research in at least 50 nations.

Another “recommended slip test package” option is to have two ASTM E303 pendulum tests, one using the hard rubber, which mimics standard shoe soles, and another with the softer rubber, which mimics bare feet and soft-soled shoes like flip-flops and running shoes. Great for pool decks!

OR, get ANSI A326.3 and the ASTM E303 pendulum test PLUS our Sustainable Slip Resistance (simulated wear) Pendulum Slip Test, which will give an indication of the slip resistance of your flooring surfaces before and after 1-2 years of use in a busy environment with lots of foot traffic. This is our most highly recommended option for high traffic areas. $526.50 per sample. Here’s more information, or click here to pay for a floor slip test package.


Floor Slip Resistance Tests

ASTM E 303-22 (2022 version) Pendulum DCOF Floor Slip Resistance Test or Road Skid Test – $265

Best dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) floor slip resistance test for measuring real-world coefficient of friction of both floors surfaces and the skid resistance of roads. Uses the pendulum tester, which has a published test method in over 50 nations. The ASTM E303-93 test was newly-revised in 2022. Safety criteria is based on 50 years of international research into real-world slip and falls. Our most recommended floor slip test method for reliable data.

Pay for slip resistance testUse the “Pay Now” button above to pay for any of the floor DCOF or SCOF slip resistance tests we perform in our coefficient of friction lab.

ANSI A326.3 DCOF Rating Test using the BOT-3000E or ANSI A137.1-2012 (aka “DCOF AcuTest”) – $265 – According to the test method, this test is for “comparing surfaces”, not assessing slip risk. DCOF safety suggestions in this test method are easy to pass and written by people interested in helping sell slippery tile. Requires a 0.42 minimum DCOF for indoor level floors. Can give “passing” grades to very slippery floors. More info. We can do dry ANSI A326.3 dry testing for an extra $100.

Pendulum DCOF Test using International Test Methods (Australia’s HB198, AS/NZS 4586, AS 4663, or Europe’s BS EN16165:2021) – $265 – Pendulum floor slip resistance testing using international standards such as the European pendulum test method EN 16165, Australian test method AS 4586, etc. Utilizes the most widely used slip resistance test device (tribometer) worldwide. Based on 50 years of real-world research in 50 nations. More info.

Sustainable Slip Resistance Pendulum Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF) Test – $320 – Check whether the slip resistance of your flooring is acceptable both before and after significant wear by pedestrians and maintenance. Used in high-traffic areas where pedestrian slip resistance must be maintained over time. More info.


Seldomly Needed, Outdated or Unreliable Coefficient of Friction Tests We Do

ASTM C 1028-07 Static Coefficient of Friction Test, ANSI/NFSI B101.3-2012 DCOF Test, ANSI/NFSI B101.1-2009 SCOF Test, Tortus Floor Friction Digital Tribometer DCOF Test, SlipAlert DCOF Test


International slip resistance testing clients will need to use a separate link to pay for testing services. Please add up what the charge is that you need to pay and then enter that amount on this page.


 
Rush fee – additional $100 per slip resistance test for 24 hour turn-around
 
If you’re sending a check, make it out to Sotter Engineering or Safety Direct America. Send your flooring or road samples for a slip resistance test, and your information to:
Sotter Engineering Corporation
c/o John C Sotter
26705 Loma Verde, Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: 1(949)933-6971    E-mail: info@SafetyDirectAmerica.com
Contact Us

Field Slip Resistance Testing of Floors and Roadway Surfaces

To have slip resistance testing for dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF rating) done at your location, the charge will be based on time and expenses, or it may be a fixed price, depending on the situation. 

We are certified by the City of Los Angeles (one of the few government agencies in the USA that has an approval process) for testing slip resistance of floors and roadway surfaces, and slip resistance test reports come stamped by a registered professional engineer, usually within 3 business days of receiving your lab sample for slip testing. For more info, contact us by email or call (949)933-6971.

Sample Size for slip resistance tests: Ideally, you will send two floor, tub or roadway samples that are 12″x12″ or 10″x10″ for slip resistance testing, but most slip tests can be done on smaller samples or one sample (for instance, a minimum of 5″x7″ for pendulum slip resistance tests, although bigger is better). 

Here are some sample test reports: ASTM E303 Pendulum Slip Resistance Test Report, ANSI A137.1/A326.3, and Sustainable Slip Resistance (SSR) Pendulum Test. Using decades of research from around the world, we can now use ASTM E303-22 pendulum test value results to guide in the assessment of real-world slip resistance using the safety criteria used in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere.

Floor Slip Resistance Testing Experts

Floor Coefficient of Friction Test samples are stored for 21 days before being discarded. If you’d like your slip resistance test samples returned, please let us know promptly and send us a return shipping label.

We have field slip resistance testing clients from Bermuda to Japan to Guam, Mexico to Canada, New York City to Seattle, and throughout the entire USA. We offer not only a one-time field slip resistance tests, but the option of periodic slip resistance monitoring (quarterly, annually, etc.) of the coefficient of friction of your floors. Periodic slip resistance test methods (or traction auditing) of your floor’s slip-resistance has many potentially multi-million dollar cost-saving benefits for building owners and safety managers. We can test dry only for areas that stay dry in use; and dry and wet for areas that get wet in use. (We can also help you if you’d like to buy your own slip resistance test instrument.) Here’s more detail on our slip resistance testing.
 

Some Floor Friction Tests We Don’t Do and Why

Some clients are looking for an “R Rating” for their flooring, which involves the German Ramp Test, or DIN 51130. A human subject wearing “work boots” walks up and down a ramp with a particular flooring sample on it, and the floor is covered in motor oil. R9, R10, R11, R12, and R13 are the available classifications, R9 being the most slippery flooring. This floor slippage test is very expensive, can only be done in a lab, and it isn’t testing typical pedestrian conditions like the British Pendulum Tester, which uses water and standard shoe sole simulating rubber. Here is more discussion on the German Ramp Test for Floor Slip Resistance.
 
ASTM D2047 (and UL 410, which uses the same test method) amounts to nothing less than fraud when it comes to claiming that this test using the James Machine is reliable for assessing a floor’s slip resistance. ASTM D2047 is a Static Coefficient of Friction test (SCOF), which is measuring whether the floor is slippery to someone who is standing still (static) on it, and the floor is tested in the clean and dry condition. There has never been a slip and fall accident in the history of humankind in these conditions.
 
The English XL and Brungraber Mark II and Mark IIIB tribometers are popular amongst expert “liars for hire” in the USA who work exclusively for lawyers. The “experts” who use these devices are great at (miraculously) getting exactly the answer their lawyer or client wants them to get each and every time they’re called to “test” a floor. Both the English XL and Brungraber Mark II were rejected many years ago by both the ASTM and OSHA. The Brungraber Mark IIIB appears to be just a shinier version of the Brungraber Mark II. All three of these instruments have a published, peer-reviewed test method for their use in exactly zero nations on earth. They lack precision.
 

Reliable Floor Slip Resistance Testing/Floor Friction Testing From Sotter Engineering Corporation

The pendulum test value is easily the world’s most reliable floor friction test for assessing the real-world slip resistance of flooring, as it can test for the dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) both in the lab and after the flooring has been installed and maintained, which is often crucial to avoiding slips on your property. It’s based on over 50 years of research around the world, and uses distilled water as the lubricant and standardized shoe rubber as the slider, which mimics real-world conditions.

Send your flooring samples for slip resistance testing to:

Sotter Engineering Corporation
c/o John C Sotter
26705 Loma Verde, Mission Viejo, CA 92691

FAQs

The purpose of a coefficient of friction (COF) test is to determine the frictional properties between two surfaces. By calculating the COF, we can assess the likelihood of slipping incidents, which is vital for designing safe walking surfaces and preventing accidents.

Coefficient of friction testing is essential for identifying potential slip hazards on various surfaces. This test helps in selecting appropriate materials and treatments to enhance slip resistance, thereby reducing the risk of injuries on both public and private floor surfaces.

Performing a surface friction test involves using a slip resistance tester to measure the force required to move one surface over another. Methods like the pendulum COF testing are employed to simulate real-world conditions and obtain accurate measurements of surface friction.

The accuracy of COF testing depends on the testing method and conditions. Standardized procedures, such as the pendulum COF test and the ramp test ensure reliable results. However, surface conditions and using bad test methods can influence accuracy, making it essential to conduct tests using published standards not created by the America tile industry.