Slip resistance tests for flooring: Two methods compared

Abstract In the UK the two most commonly used tests for measuring the slip resistance of flooring are the BCRA Tortus test and the RRL skid test. The corresponding safety criteria usually associated with these tests are assumed to be equivalent. Experimental results obtained on a range of flooring materials tested dry, wet and treated with two different polishes indicate that different slip resistance values are obtained from the two testers, even when the same test slider material is used in each. The relationship of these tests to service conditions remains uncertain and it follows therefore that figures quoted for coefficient of friction in BS 5395 are largely meaningless since neither the test method nor the slider material is specified.