Featured in International Business Times: Exposing America’s Floor Safety Problem
Sotter Engineering’s President John C Sotter was recently featured in International Business Times in an article titled:
“John Sotter Highlights America’s Floor Problem, Striving to Redefine the Country’s Floor Safety Standards.”
The article touches on something we’ve been saying for years:
The United States has a serious floor safety problem—and most people don’t even realize it.
The Hidden Problem Beneath Our Feet
Slip-and-fall incidents are one of the leading causes of injuries in the U.S., yet there is still no reliable, universally accepted method in this country to measure whether a floor is actually safe.
That’s the core issue.
As highlighted in the article, the U.S. has relied on outdated or scientifically questionable testing methods for decades, leaving building owners, architects, and even courts with inconsistent and often misleading data.
The result?
- Floors that are labeled “safe” when they’re not
- Conflicting test results in litigation
- Millions of preventable injuries
The U.S. vs. The Rest of the World
One of the biggest disconnects is this:
The rest of the world has already solved this problem.
Countries across Europe, the UK, Australia, and beyond rely on pendulum-based slip testing—a method that actually replicates how people slip while walking.
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to lean on:
- Static coefficient of friction tests
- Devices with known precision issues
- Standards that don’t even define safety thresholds
That’s not just outdated—it’s dangerous.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
What the article makes clear is that this isn’t just a technical issue—it’s a public safety issue.
When testing methods are unreliable:
- Property owners can’t confidently verify safety
- Contractors install floors that later become liabilities
- Attorneys battle over inconsistent data instead of clear facts
And ultimately, people get hurt unnecessarily.
Changing the Standard
My work—and the mission behind organizations like the American Floor Safety Alliance—is focused on one thing:
Bringing the U.S. in line with proven, science-based methods that actually reflect real-world slip risk.
That means:
- Moving toward dynamic testing (like the pendulum)
- Establishing clear, defensible safety thresholds
- Eliminating reliance on outdated or non-reproducible devices
The Bottom Line
The recognition from International Business Times is appreciated—but more importantly, it signals that this conversation is starting to reach a broader audience.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t about standards committees or technical debates.
It’s about something much simpler:
Making sure the floors people walk on every day are actually safe.
Read the Full Article
If you’d like to read the full feature, you can find it here:
👉 https://www.ibtimes.com/john-sotter-highlights-americas-floor-problem-striving-redefine-countrys-floor-safety-standards-3802257