A) Everything you wanted to know about SlipAlert...

Your questions answered. If you want to ask more specific questions or if something is not covered below then please contact us.

A1) Why should I test my floors?

A2) Is SlipAlert reliable

A3) Why is it unique?

A4) Why use SlipAlert rather than the Pendulum?

A5) Is it independently tested?

A6) How often should I check my floors?

A7) Do I need any training?

A8) Which slider to I need?

A9) Can I use SlipAlert on slopes/ramps?

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A1) Why should I test my floors?

Slipping is a known major cause of injury in the UK and most developed countries. In the UK, the HSE and Local Authority Environmental Health Officers are realising that slip prevention is the key to reducing many different types of accident. Many accidents previously recorded as, for example, ‘put hand in machine’ or ‘became impaled on a knife’, are frequently demonstrated to have been initiated by slipping.

Under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations an employer has a duty to assess all the factors which might affect the risk of injury to his employees. This very much includes the risk of slipping. It is thus an essential part of any professionally conducted risk assessment. You cannot assess the risk of slipping unless you can properly assess the slip resistance of the floor.

A2) Is SlipAlert reliable?

SlipAlert was designed by Dr Malcolm Bailey who is the Chairman of both the British Standards Committee and the European Standards Committee dealing with slipping and the measurement of slip resistance. In tests against the TRL Pendulum, SlipAlert has been proved to be a very acceptable substitute.

A3) Why is it unique?

SlipAlert is the only machine which has been specifically designed to correlate with the Pendulum, which has proven over many years experience to provide a reliable assessment of the slip resistance of flooring. The Pendulum has become the ‘Gold Standard’ of slip resistance testing in the UK.

A4) Why use SlipAlert rather than the Pendulum?

SlipAlert is designed for quick and easy floor measurement. It is significantly easier to use than the Pendulum. The Pendulum is a very accurate scientific instrument and should be used by experienced professionals. To use the Pendulum, one needs to be an experienced operator and follow a strict protocol in order to obtain reliable results.

SlipAlert is significantly quicker to use than the Pendulum, ideal for measuring floors and testing large areas quickly and easily.

A5) Is it independently tested?

SlipAlert was tested by Dr Steve Thorpe and Dr Paul Lemon at the Health & Safety Laboratory at Buxton. A paper giving their findings was read at the UK Ergonomics Society Conference at Hatfield in April 2005. It has also been tested by Richard Bowman at CSIRO in Australia and he too has published his findings.

A6) How often should I check my floors?

Once you have carried out an initial assessment with SlipAlert you will know which of your floors might be classed as a potential problem and need to be looked at to see how they could be made safer. Floors can change their slip resistance due to two main factors: wear and cleaning (or lack of effective cleaning). Wear effects normally take place over months or even years, so monitoring may well be on a 3 or 6 monthly basis. However, cleaning effectiveness can change far more rapidly. In certain situations, such as food production industries with heavy contamination levels, it may be wise to check floors weekly or even daily.

A7) Do I need any training to operate SlipAlert?

No. It really is simple to operate. We provide a short set of instructions, and within minutes of removing SlipAlert from its carrycase, you will be able to start testing your floors.

A8) There are various sliders available. Which do I need?

We can provide three different sliders, depending on your requirements.

Four S slider

This is the same slider as used as a Standard on the Pendulum. If you are really concerned about getting a reading as near as possible to that which the Pendulum would give in a British Standard test, then this slider is the one to use. However, it does wear rapidly and needs to be correctly prepared before use and between test locations.

Durable SlipAlert slider (standard with every SlipAlert)

This slider is provided with the machine. It correlates well with the Standard Pendulum Test and it is far more durable. The correlation with the Pendulum test is not quite as precise as with the Four S slider, but it remains a very good measure of slipperiness. For most purposes it is perfectly satisfactory and does not need to be replaced as often as the Four S slider. In many respects it is more akin to a normal shoe heel than Four S.

TRL slider

This slider is used to simulate someone walking in soft rubber soles/heels like those found on trainers. It also simulates the bare foot situation so is useful for swimming pool surrounds, changing rooms and bathrooms.

A9) Can I use SlipAlert on slopes/ramps?

In its normal mode of operation, SlipAlert should only be used on a level, that is horizontal, surface. We do provide an inclinometer which allows SlipAlert to be used on a sloping surface in order to measure the combined effect of the downwards slope and the normal slip resistance of the surface. This allows you to judge whether that surface on that slope is safe using the same criteria as in a level/horizontal situation.

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