Slip resistance

SH&E professionals have long recognized slips and falls as a major cause of injury and, therefore, are keenly interested in the assessment of slip resistance for walking surfaces. Two modern devices designed to overcome the adhesion effect are the Brungraber Mark II and the English XL. With these devices, one can more-accurately assess walkway slip resistance under wet conditions. The objectives of this study are to provide SH professionals with practical information regarding the use of these devices and to report slip-resistance measurement values for various floor surface materials in "as purchased condition" under wet and dry conditions using both devices. The two testing devices employed were the Brungraber Mark II1 portable inclineable articulated strut slip tester and the English XL2 variable incidence tribometer. The study confirms that both testers overcome the problem of adhesion (also called "sticktion") common among dragsled testers.