ASTM D2047 – an unreliable, irrelevant and worthless “floor safety” scam

ASTM D2047 was first published by the ASTM in 1953 using the James Machine to assess the “safety” of Floor Wax and Floor Polish. It was never intended to be used to assess the safety of floors, but because about 99% of floor waxes back in the 1950’s “passed” this nonsensical “test” with greater than … Continue reading “ASTM D2047 – an unreliable, irrelevant and worthless “floor safety” scam”

Polished Floors Are Slippery When Wet – No Matter What Your American-Made Slip Resistance Test Device Says!

Reliable floor slip resistance test devices include the pendulum floor slip resistance tester and the SlipAlert Tribometer (now known as the iAlert), which both measure the dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) of floors. In the United States of America, we have in the past (and present) allowed tile manufacturers and people who make their living … Continue reading “Polished Floors Are Slippery When Wet – No Matter What Your American-Made Slip Resistance Test Device Says!”

SCOF Testing Never Has Been and Never Will Be Relevant To Assessing Floor Slip Resistance

Floor coefficient of friction (COF) testing is the measuring of the slip resistance of a flooring surface. The static coefficient of friction (SCOF) is the force required to start an object moving relative to the surface, divided by the weight of the object on the floor. It is a measure of the resistance to sliding … Continue reading “SCOF Testing Never Has Been and Never Will Be Relevant To Assessing Floor Slip Resistance”

Fool Me Once: The Floor Slip Resistance Testing Misinformation Campaign Fooling the USA

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” The Tile Council of North America (TCNA), who reportedly is “in partnership” with at least one of America’s largest tile manufacturers, spent almost two decades promoting the misinformation that the ASTM C1028 static coefficient of friction (SCOF) … Continue reading “Fool Me Once: The Floor Slip Resistance Testing Misinformation Campaign Fooling the USA”

What Should the Slip Resistance of a Bathtub Be?

Bathtubs, in hotels or homes, are in areas where slip accidents can be very serious or fatal because there are hard objects in close proximity that can be easily struck by the head after a slip — the side of the tub, the faucet, toilets and sinks. Bare feet are soft and essentially treadless, and … Continue reading “What Should the Slip Resistance of a Bathtub Be?”