Static coefficient of friction (SCOF) was formerly used to measure the slip resistance of a wet floor in the USA, but the test method (ASTM C1028) was withdrawn by the ASTM in 2014. Experts in the USA now know to use dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF), as the rest of the world has been using […]
Tag Archives: slippery floor
ANSI A326.3 Acutest Does Not Predict Likelihood of Slip
A widely used floor friction test, American National Standards Institute A326.3, states in its introduction that “it can provide a useful comparison of surfaces, but it does not predict the likelihood a person will or will not slip on a hard surface flooring material.” The test assesses wet dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) using the […]
Cobblestones in San Juan PR: America’s Largest Slip Hazard?
As if San Juan and the rest of Puerto Rico didn’t have enough economic and hurricane-damage problems, some of the streets of San Juan are paved with blue 18th-century cobblestones that are very slippery when wet. In November 2017, a cruise passenger from the mainland USA fell and broke his arm (despite being warned about […]
America Gets Another Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Slip Resistance Guideline
Wet, bare feet are soft and essentially treadless, and on a slippery hard floor can be treacherous — leading to falls that sometimes cause permanent brain damage or worse. It’s crucial to provide slip-resistant surfaces at swimming pools where people (some of them sober) will be walking, playing or running (even against the rules) with […]
ANSI Issuing Another Standard Slip Test Method for Flooring Materials
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is issuing a new test method, with minimum dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF rating), for slip resistance of hard flooring materials, wet or dry, laboratory or field testing. No minimum DCOF is provided for exterior applications. The BOT-3000E digital tribometer is used for the testing. The Secretariat for the […]
Slips and Falls: To whose benefit?
The respected ancient Roman judge Lucius Cassius, when looking for who might be guilty of a crime, liked to ask, “Cui bono?” — “to whose benefit?” The guilty party is likely to be one who profited from the crime. Slips and falls leading to injury and sometimes to premature death (68 deaths per day in the […]
Do All Pedestrian Ramps Need the Same Coefficient of Friction?
The minimum safety standard for coefficient of friction for a pedestrian ramp should depend on the angle of the ramp and the weight of the separate load (shopping cart, wheelchair, gurney, etc.), if any, the pedestrian is controlling. However, that’s not how American safety standards are written. In the USA, traditionally safety standards for slip […]
Three Common Fallacies about Floor Slip Resistance
There are three widely-held misconceptions about pedestrian slip resistance. If you’re aware of them it can help you avoid a nasty, expensive, and possibly life-changing surprise. Fallacy #1: “If a floor has a matte finish — that is, it’s not “shiny” —, it won’t be slippery when wet.” Truth is, many floors that have a matte […]
Slip Resistance Tested Anti-Slip Floor and Tub Tapes
Testing has shown that when a person’s heel slips more than three inches, the person is 50% likely to fall. To be safe, you should be sure that people on your property do not slip more than one and a half inches on your flooring, especially in dangerous areas such as stairs. Perhaps the cheapest […]