History of the Pendulum Slip Resistance Test

What is the Pendulum Slip Test?

Designed and used for floor and skid tests, the Pendulum Test, also known as the Sigler Pendulum Tester, is thought to have been developed by Percy Sigler at the National Bureau of Standards in the 1940’s, its main aim being to measure the slip resistance characteristics of all types of hard surfaces and flooring.

Trialed first in government buildings, the Pendulum Slip Test was then adapted in the 1950’s by the UK Transport Research Laboratory. Their hope? That they would be able to test the skid resistance properties of a road and help avoid cars from skidding, especially around corners.

The Pendulum Slip Resistance Test wasn’t fully modified for commercial floor slip testing until the 1970’s but is now one of the most accurate and trusted ways to check a floor’s slip resistance. This landmark test, not only revolutionised the slip floor industry but also helped make ordinary office flooring, sports surfaces and oil rigs safer! All you have to do is ask an architect, and let them explain how vital the Pendulum Slip Resistance Test is to the building trade now.

Unsure if you need a Pendulum Slip Resistance Test? Then please contact us today. We will be very happy to advise you.

But what does the Pendulum Test actually do?

The Pendulum Slip Test itself measures the real loss of stopping under momentum. It reproduces the moving action of a heel walking across a floor, opposed to the speculative mathematically estimated method.

Other methods, including the static approach, have been proven to supply inconsistent results that can not be interpreted into a floors slip potential.

The Pendulum Test is well known in the field as being the most accurate and reliable way of testing a floor’s slip resistance.

What does the slip test test involve?

Using Edwin Gilbert Izod’s technique of impact strength; a precise weight is placed on the end of the pendulum swing arm, which is then spun at a measured distance above the ground then discharged.

The weight is normally made up of a sprung loaded rubber heal, which, when the arm is freed, releases the runner heal toward the floor and measures the impact and slide, thus, reproducing a person’s heel on a wet floor.

The further the arm travels across the floor is measured, concluding in the slippiness of the floor.

Currently, the minimum requirement for low slip risk of 36 PTV (Pendulum Test Value) is needed on all floors, and higher if a floor is going to get wet or become greasy.

The HSE (UK Health and Safety Executive) have found that over 90% of floor slips happen on wet or smooth floors and cost have cost businesses in the UK a massive £1.4 million in injury claims per day!  This is why it is so important to carry out slip resistance testing and checks to commercial flooring systems.

Is the Pendulum Test accepted in court?

The simple answer is yes! The Pendulum Test is undoubtedly one of the most well-known methods in the world to test floors and replicate risk assessment findings for a court of law.  We offer a comprehensive expert witness slip resistance testing service throughout The UK. You can call our slip resistance experts at our head office on 0208 2465562 to discuss slip testing in more detail.

Further reading:

– HSE
– Wikipedia

Slip-testing.co.uk is part of the Surface Performance ltd group. We provide flooring slip tests and pendulum slip testing in locations such as Newbury, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bornnemouth& Southampton. We can perform slip testing at airports and pendulum slip resistance testing to runways such as Heathrow, Gatwick, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh. Our slip testing team cover locations such as Plymouth, Exeter, Cheltenham and even carry out regular slip resistance checks and tests in Taunton, Dover, Chester, Stockport and Oldham. Do you require the slip resistance of any type of flooring checked in Middledborough, Darlington, Lancaster or Preston? Great – we can help – our calibrated pendulum slip tested can provide technical slip resistance reports in all of these locations. We even carry out slip testing in Wales in places such as Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Chepstow and Bridgend.

Our head office for slip resistance testing is located in London and we can be contacted on 02082465562 of by using the contact form here to discuss your pendulum slip testing requirements.