Floor Slip Resistance Requirements

The 2012 international building code ibc lays out slip resistance but there are weaknesses with the requirements.

Floor slip resistance requirements.

In general architects are concerned about slip resistance where floors can become wet from water such as on ceramic tile in bathrooms or from grease and oils such as in commercial kitchens or garages. Specifying flooring that will not be slippery even when it can get wet or otherwise lubricated in use is critical for safety purposes. Firmness stability and slip resistance 302 1 carpet 302 2 openings 302 3 changes in level 303 common questions. Altro slip resistant flooring is a practical solution to blending safety flooring properties with the modern less industrial commercial flooring looks.

A floor with a high friction capability will provide enough grip in most circumstances to prevent a person falling and the hse hsl has determined a low probability of slipping on a floor rated at a minimum slip resistance value srv of 0 36 coefficient of friction cof is 1 in 1 million. Specifications for floor and ground surfaces address surface characteristics carpeting openings and changes in level. This is the ceramic tile requirements standard. Cof slip resistance ratings for other types of flooring.

Dallas based lawyer russell j. That means that like the now withdrawn astm c1028 test results the ansi a137 1 test results should never be trusted as a reliable indicator of slip resistance. Bs en 13845 resilient floor coverings polyvinyl chloride floor coverings with particle based enhanced slip resistance specification. The astm e303 slip resistance test standard defines the british pendulum tester that is now a national standard for pedestrian floor slip resistance in at least 50 nations on five continents and has been endorsed by ceramic tile institute of america since 2001.

In a nonmandatory appendix to a proposed rule in 1990 osha said a reasonable measure of slip resistance is static coefficient of friction scof is recommended as a guide to achieve proper slip resistance. Slip resistance is a declared value based on the methods described in pren 16165. A cof of 0 5 is not intended to be an absolute. This guide explains requirements in the ada standards for floor and ground surfaces.

Floor slip resistance is an important safety measure that all architects must be aware of when specifying flooring materials. When buying tile you are in luck. Achieving a 0 60 scof using c1028 never meant that you had a safe floor when wet and achieving a 0 42 using this newer test method is just as unreliable as an indication of safety. Achieves r10 slip resistance slip resistant even when wet throughout lifetime of floor.

Kendzior is a leading expert in slip and fall injuries. It is the most widely used and trusted pedestrian slip resistance test method worldwide.