This quick guide looks at when and how often slip testing should be conducted, and why regular professional testing of public flooring surfaces is so important.
How often a flooring surface should be professionally slip tested depends on various factors, including the type of environment, the amount of foot traffic, the nature of the activities conducted and any relevant regulatory requirements.
While there is no specific law mandating the frequency of slip resistance testing in Australia, Stone Initiatives encourages regular and timely assessments. This includes slip testing:
- at the product / material selection stage,
- at finishes selection,
- ideally, again after installation,
- and regularly after that.
“If you start out testing a particular finish and it’s not getting the results you need for use in your project, you can change the finish and test again to make sure you get it right before installation,” says Kate Tonkin, head of the Surface Finishes department at Stone Initiatives.
“It’s much easier to make changes before you install your surface, rather than trying to fix it later.”
Slip resistance can change over time
Kate also points out that slip resistance can change dramatically with wear, which is why regular surveillance tests are recommend after installation.
“We recommend six-monthly to yearly for public areas, particularly for high-traffic spaces such as a public bathrooms and malls,” she says.
“Regular testing can also pick up things like accelerated wear, or whether the cleaning regime might be impacting the slip resistance. If you’re not using appropriate cleaning products or methods, it might wear the surface more quickly.”
While regular slip resistance testing in public areas is clearly important in keeping flooring surfaces safe and helping to reduce slip incidents, having the tests performed and receiving the results is only part of the process. It is vital that action is then taken when needed.
Slip resistance test reports by Stone Initiatives clearly explain the results and help clients to understand what the numbers mean. This enables them to take any required action promptly.
“We suggest that building managers, owners, and all parts of a design, construction or installation team know their legal duty of care and compliance obligations,” says Kate.
“All organisations have a duty of care to their customers or employees to provide a safe environment, including floor surface safety.”
Our experienced team can help to plan a testing regime specifically tailored to your project or premises. Samples can be sent to our NATA-accredited laboratory in Adelaide, or we can test on project site around Australia. Get in touch to chat about your slip testing needs.
More quick guides to slip resistance testing:
What are the slip resistance standards in Australia?
What is a good slip rating?