Pendulum Testing
Pendulum Testing is regarded as the Gold Standard for obtaining the slip safety levels of a flooring surface in both Ireland and the UK. It allows you to quantify the safety levels of a surface and take the appropriate action if needed. As part of the testing, we also conduct an Rz Surface Micro Roughness test BS 1134-1 and provide a full detailed report of the findings.
A flooring surface with inadequate safety levels may lead to a slip & fall accident with an injury occurring and therefore a subsequent claim.
About the Pendulum Test
We conduct Pendulum Testing to BS 7976-2 standards, recognized by the HSA (Ireland), the HSE (UK) and is the preferred method of testing recommended by the UK Slip Resistance Group - of which we are a member.
The Pendulum Test is the gold standard for slip testing in Ireland and can be used if a claim goes to court. That means if you or your business end up in court it is likely to be pendulum data presented for or against you.
The Pendulum Test remains one of the few methods to accurately recreate the hydrodynamic squeeze film generated in a slip in wet conditions.
The test can be used in an In-House setting but also, importantly, on-site on real-life flooring surfaces. The In-House test is extremely beneficially to clients who have concerns about the safety levels of a flooring surface prior to installation. It allows a test to be conducted on a flooring sample, which will show PTV levels, prior to installation.
We also conduct on-site tests, which again will accurately gauge the slip resistance levels of a flooring surface and we can recommend any action (if any) that needs to be taken to increase the resistance levels.
All equipment used is Independently Calibrated and Certified Annually.
When should you get a Pendulum Test conducted?
A Pendulum Test is extremely important to ensure your floors are as safe as possible. You should get a Pendulum Test conducted –
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Annual Testing is recommended by HSA
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As part of continued maintenance & monitoring
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Prior to the installation of a new flooring surface
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Changes to Cleaning Procedures
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Prior to handing over a newly installed floor to a client
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Post Accident
Call For a more information:
(053) 91-28285
Pendulum Test Information
How often should you have your floors tested?
The slip resistance of a floor can change dramatically depending on a number of factors such as Environment, Footfall, Location, Contamination,Flooring Surface,and Cleaning . Therefore, we would recommend a test is conducted annually to ensure your floors are up to the required standards and are safe for both your staff & customers.
Pendulum Test Values (PTV)
A test is conducted in 3 directions (Horizontal, Vertical & Diagonal) with 8 swings in each direction. A mean value is taken from the values in each direction and the median of these 3 figures is the PTV of the surface. A PTV of less than 24 is considered High Risk, 25 to 35 is considered Medium Risk and 36+ is considered Low Risk.
What do the PTV's mean?
Essentially, the higher the PTV of a flooring surface, the lower the chances of a slip accident occurring. A high PTV (36+) doesn’t guarantee there will be zero slip accidents but it means there is much less risk of one occurring.
For example, a floor with a PTV of 24 will cause 1 in 20 people to change how they are walking on that surface. In contrast, a surface with a PTV of 36 + will only cause 1 in 1,000,000 people to change how they are walking on that surface.
F.A.Q.
Why get a Pendulum Test?
Every business should get a Pendulum Test completed to ensure they are compliant with the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005 under section 19 of the 2005 Act. As part of this Act, employers are required to carry out Risk Assessments and to record these in the Safety Statement.
The Health and Safety Authority (HSA Ireland) also states that Employers/Managers must commit to and provide the resources to control the risks from slips, trips & falls and to take specific action based on a risk assessment.
A Test also:
- Ensures Compliance with Building Regulations
- Technical Guidance Document B-Fire Safety Floors of Escape Routes 1.4.6
- Technical Guidance Document M- Access and Use 1.1.3.1 (K)
- Technical Guidance Document M- Access and Use 1.1.3.1 (l)
- Technical Guidance Document M- Access and Use 1.1.3.1 (P)
Can the R Rating be converted to Pendulum Test Values?
The simple answer is no. R-ratings are a completely different rating to PTV levels and they cannot be accurately converted. An R rating is a laboratory test result and this over time can be altered due to factors such as footfall, environment, location, etc, so this may not represent the actual slip resistance levels of a floor when in use.
If the flooring surface has a PTV level of less than 24 does that mean 1 in 20 people will slip?
No, what it means is that 1 in 20 will change how they are walking on that surface to increase the chances of them not slipping. For example, if someone is walking on a clearly wet tiled surface they will shorten their stride to reduce the risk of slipping.