We are proud to share that John Sotter, president of Safety Direct America and Sotter Engineering Corporation, was recently featured in USA Today.
The article, “John Sotter’s Relentless Pursuit for a Safer America,” examines John’s decades-long effort to improve floor safety and prevent life-changing slip-and-fall injuries before they happen.
A Career Dedicated to Floor Safety
Most people rarely think about whether a floor is safe until someone falls. For John Sotter, that reactive approach has never been good enough.
For more than three decades, John has worked to improve the science of floor slip-resistance testing. Through Safety Direct America, he has helped property owners, architects, flooring manufacturers, government agencies and attorneys understand how walking surfaces perform under real-world conditions—especially when those surfaces become wet or otherwise contaminated.
His work encompasses laboratory and field testing, expert-witness services, standards development, professional consultation and practical anti-slip solutions.
Advancing Reliable Testing Methods
The USA Today article also highlights John’s work promoting reliable, scientifically supported methods of evaluating floor safety.
John contributed substantially to the modernization of ASTM E303, the American standard governing use of the Pendulum Floor Slip Resistance Tester. The pendulum is used internationally to measure the slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces under conditions that more closely resemble the interaction between a shoe heel and the floor.
John is also a founder of the American Floor Safety Alliance, which develops practical, evidence-based standards for evaluating both initial and sustainable slip resistance.
The goal is straightforward: safety decisions should be based on repeatable measurements and real-world performance—not marketing claims, outdated testing instruments or assumptions about how a floor appears.
The English XL, ASTM C1028, and the Brungraber Mark IIIB are not using proven science – they were (and still are) used to help install slippery-when-wet floors and then defend them for insurance companies using science that has been rejected internationally and nationally again and again. Their users commit what I’d call perjury every time they testify. They clearly know, if experienced users, that their instruments provide them with bogus data that is contrary to reality.
Preventing Injuries Before They Occur
Falls remain one of America’s most serious and costly injury problems. The danger is especially significant for older adults, for whom a single fall can result in permanent disability, loss of independence or death.
As the American population continues to age, meaningful fall prevention will require greater attention to the surfaces people walk on every day. Hospitals, hotels, restaurants, workplaces, transportation facilities, residential communities and public buildings all have an opportunity to identify dangerous floors before someone is injured.
Recognition from USA Today helps bring this frequently overlooked public-safety issue to a much larger national audience.
Continuing the Mission
We appreciate USA Today recognizing John’s work and helping draw attention to the importance of scientifically reliable floor-safety testing.
Safety Direct America will continue working to improve testing standards, educate property owners and flooring professionals, correct hazardous surfaces and help prevent avoidable injuries.
Because the most successful slip-and-fall investigation is the one that never becomes necessary.
Read the complete USA Today article: John Sotter’s Relentless Pursuit for a Safer America.
To learn more about floor slip-resistance testing, expert-witness services or anti-slip solutions, contact Safety Direct America.