Pendulum Slip Testing

What is pendulum slip testing?

Pendulum slip resistance testing is the United Kingdom's recognised standard method for assessing how slippery a floor surface is in real-world conditions. The test is carried out using a portable pendulum-style instrument that swings a weighted foot fitted with a calibrated rubber slider across the floor. The resulting deceleration is read directly from the instrument as a Pendulum Test Value (PTV).

The pendulum method is the only floor slip resistance test method endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the UK Slip Resistance Group (UKSRG) for the assessment of pedestrian slip risk. It is the test that HSE inspectors use, that personal injury solicitors will rely on as evidence, and that insurers expect to see in support of a defence to a slip claim.

Which standards does it cover?

Surface Performance is UKAS-accredited (Testing Laboratory 7933) to carry out pendulum testing under both of the relevant standards:

• BS 7976-2:2002+A1:2013 — the British Standard for the operation and calibration of the pendulum tester.
• BS EN 16165:2021 Annex C — the European harmonised method incorporating pendulum testing.

Both standards produce equivalent PTV results and either can be specified for compliance. Our reports cite both standards by default to maximise their international recognition.

How do PTV results map to risk?

The UK Slip Resistance Group classifies slip risk based on PTV as follows:

• PTV 0–24: high slip potential — slip risk worse than 1 in a million per pedestrian step. Remedial action required.
• PTV 25–35: moderate slip potential — risk between 1 in a million and 1 in 20,000. Monitoring and risk management required.
• PTV 36+: low slip potential — risk better than 1 in a million per step. Compliant with HSE guidance.

These thresholds apply to floors tested in the wet state (water-contaminated). Dry-state PTVs are also reported but rarely fall below the threshold for a competently installed floor.

What does the test involve?

A typical pendulum test on a floor zone takes around 15 minutes. We identify representative test zones, clean each zone, and conduct a series of five swings in each of three directions, both dry and wet. The slider rubber is regularly conditioned against an abrasive paper (Lubrolene) to ensure consistent readings. All data is recorded onsite and verified back in the laboratory.

For a typical commercial floor (a restaurant, retail unit, hotel reception, or hospital ward), we will test between three and ten distinct zones, selected to represent the highest slip-risk areas — entrances, food service zones, bathroom approaches, ramps and gradients.

What does the report contain?

Every UKAS-accredited PTV report from Surface Performance includes:

• The UKAS Crown and Tick logo and our Schedule 7933 reference;
• A signed declaration from a qualified engineer;
• Site identification, test date, and ambient conditions;
• A scale plan showing the location of every test zone;
• Photographs of every test zone;
• Tabulated PTV results, dry and wet, in three directions per zone;
• A risk classification per zone against the UKSRG guidance;
• Recommendations and a clear, plain-English summary of findings.

Reports are typically delivered within 48 hours of site attendance, with urgent same-day reports available by prior arrangement for incident response work.

Book this service in Oxford or the Thames Valley

To request a quote for pendulum slip testing at a specific site, call us on 0208 246 5562, email info@surfaceperformance.com, or use the enquiry form. We typically issue fixed-price quotes within the same working day.