To: Health and Safety Enforcing Authorities
For the attention of: Environmental Services/Trading Standards/Local Authority Health and Safety Enforcement Managers, Health and Safety Regulators and others
This circular gives advice to local authority enforcement officers
The Slips Assessment Tool (SAT) is a development of software which was produced by the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to assist inspectors to assess slips risks on contaminated floors in, initially, the food processing industries. This was known as the Pedestrian Slipping Expert System (PSES). It soon became apparent that PSES could be just as useful in a wider range of work environments. PSES was trialled by about 40 HSE inspectors and field scientists and about a dozen groups of LAs. The trials also involved architects, designers, and safety advisors. SAT is an enhanced and more user-friendly development of PSES. Inspectors and other visiting staff, e.g. health and safety awareness officers, may find SAT a useful aid during interventions on slips issues. SAT version 1.0 was launched in October 2004. Following a survey of users a number of enhancements were incorporated and SAT version. 1.1.0 was issued in December 2006.
A complete description of the enhancements is given in the Slips Assessment tool.
The feature which was most requested by users was the ability to print off and save the results bar chart. Also, the bar chart is now included in some of the report formats. More advice on methods of controlling slips and trips has also been added.
Regulation 12 (2) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 makes it an absolute requirement that floors should not be slippery so as to cause someone to slip, trip or fall. Sometimes there may be little doubt in deciding whether a floor is slippery, for example where there has been a history of slips accidents or near misses in a particular location. In situations which are not so clear-cut, for example an area of floor prone to contamination but without an accident history, it can be helpful to have some more objective measure of slip risk potential. SAT provides that objective input.
SAT is a PC-based package which enables an assessment of the slip risk potential of pedestrian walkways/surfaces. SAT is used in conjunction with a portable surface roughness meter.
Many traditional slip test methods have only considered the physical nature of the floor. However, there are a number of contributory factors that cause pedestrians to slip. SAT has therefore been designed to take a holistic approach in assessing the risk of slipping in a given location. The programme calculates a ‘slip risk factor’, which indicates if there is a high or low risk of slipping in any given situation and can help to derive suitable remedial measures. The results can also inform the enforcement process, although additional data, e.g. pendulum coefficient of friction measurements, may be necessary to support enforcement action, particularly on flooring.
SAT should be downloaded on to a laptop or PC rather than be used online. The SAT home page is accessed via the slips and trips pages of the HSE website. Full instructions are given, but essentially the user saves SAT to a suitable folder on the hard drive of their PC, e.g. C:\Work\SAT. Any assessment reports that the system generates will normally be saved to this folder, too.
During the assessment of slips risks the operator works through a logical set of questions that require information on:
The operator also makes and records measurements of floor surface micro roughness at the test location using a small hand-held surface roughness meter.
All the above information is recorded on a proforma and is then input into a laptop for an immediate assessment of slip risk. This is the preferred mode of operation. Alternatively, the data can be input to a PC back at the office.
On completion, a ‘slip-risk’ classification is generated which helps the user to determine whether site conditions are likely to give rise to a high or low risk of slipping. The SAT produces a summary page containing all the data input for a particular assessment and a ‘score’ from 0 to 40+ where:
The summary is saved as a computer file. The assessment can then, if desired, be repeated using alternative data such as better footwear, reduced amount of floor contamination, better cleaning regime etc. A bar chart indicates the control measures that would have the greatest impact on reducing the risk. However, some controls may not easily be changed in the situation being examined and a judgment will need to be made as to the best and most economical to target. The programme can be run several times in this way to produce a set of summary pages and scores which can then be saved and compared to determine what changes or improvements would result in the best and/or most cost effective reduction in the slip risk on a particular floor. The saved report in RTF format includes the results bar chart.
SAT can therefore demonstrate to the occupier the various remedial measures that can be employed to reduce the slip risk to an acceptable level, and help them choose the most beneficial approach. Use of the SAT software on site lends credibility and weight to the inspector’s judgment.
The SAT scores can be used to help determine the risk gap when using the Enforcement Management Model (EMM). The process by which the SAT scores are produced considers both the likelihood and consequence elements of risk analysis, hence it is possible to go straight to an EMM risk gap. Table 1 represents a general guide to assist inspectors to take appropriate action. The enforcement section of the topic inspection pack on slips and trips [394KB] (para 4.3.3) provides advice on developing the initial enforcement expectation (IEE).
| SAT score | Risk descriptor | EMM risk gap |
|---|---|---|
| 0-20 | Low slip risk | Occupier complies with or exceeds legal standard |
| 21-30 | Medium slip risk | Nominal or moderate |
| 31-40 | Significant slip risk | Substantial |
| Over 40 | High slip risk | Extreme |
The benchmark standard to use in the EMM is “established”. Although the standard is defined in general terms in the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 Regulation 12(2) and the Approved Code of Practise (AcoP) (floors shall not be slippery so as to expose any person to a risk to their health and safety), the SAT considers how this requirement is met. These factors are covered in HSE guidance that has an established benchmark status (e.g. Slips and trips - guidance for the food processing industry HSG 156), so this should be used when assessing a SAT ‘score’ through the EMM. Note that the SAT should not be used as an automatic enforcement tool, for example an Improvement Notice should not be issued based solely on the SAT score with no other evidence of risk/non-compliance.
Where an inspector is considering prosecution, or enforcement action where significant cost is involved such as laying a new floor, it is advisable to obtain specialist advice from HSL’s Pedestrian Safety Section. This should be requested via the Divisional Specialist Group (for HSE) or through the Enforcement Liaison Officer (ELO) (for LAs).
To run SAT, users need to obtain a surface roughness meter. The type used by HSE/LAs is the Surtronic Duo. Field teams are encouraged to procure a meter for shared use within the team. Where further meters are needed, e.g. for a slips project or ‘blitz’, this can normally be arranged. For information about the availability of Duos, HSE field staff should contact Safety Unit.
Some local authorities have already purchased a surface roughness meter and others may wish to do so. Details of meter suppliers are available on the SAT web pages. A number of LA Liaison Groups have been loaned a Duo via their HSE ELO for use on a shared basis during the trial period. These arrangements will continue. It is expected that further LA Groups will request this arrangement and ELOs are requested to facilitate the loan of a Duo in such cases.
SAT is easy to use, and full instructions are included in the package. However, new users may need a short briefing on the use of the Duo, which can be given by any experienced user. A Surtronic Duo user guide is available on HELex (login required). It only takes a few minutes to become familiar with SAT. Safety Unit can advise on the locations of staff that are equipped with the Duo. LAs should direct any training requests via their ELO.
The HSL field scientists have been issued with SAT and HSE field staff can request slips assessment visits from them in the usual way. The field scientists are also being issued in stages with equipment for measuring coefficient of friction (CoF) of floors (the pendulum tester or the SlipAlert rollercoaster-type tester). This measurement, together with surface roughness, gives a more robust assessment of floor slipperiness. Where CoF measurements are needed to support enforcement action, measurements should be requested from the Pedestrian Safety Section at HSL through the usual channels.
Field staff are encouraged to become familiar with the SAT software by downloading SAT on to their PC or laptop and following the instructions on the ‘How to use SAT’ pages. A sample assessment report is given in the annex to this LAC and staff are encouraged to use the data in the report for carrying out a ‘dummy run’ with SAT. When confident/ familiar with SAT, staff should consider using the SAT/Duo on routine visits, investigations or for slips project work.
SAT has been designed to be available to the wider health and safety community and field staff should encourage duty holders, safety officers, etc. to download it and use it.
For information on procurement of the Surtronic Duo, LA inspectors should contact their ELO.
For queries re the operation of the SAT software and Surtronic Duo use the SAT Help E-mail account sat@hsl.gov.uk.
| Site: | Kitchen test |
| Date: | 12/10/2006 11:44 |
| Operator: | A N Other |
| Slip Risk: | Medium Slip Risk (26) |
| Type: | Theoretical |
| Floor Type: | Quarry Tile |
| Acid Etching: | No |
| Roughness Meter Calibrated: | Yes |
| Contamination: | Semi-solid, Light |
| Potential Contamination Sources: | |
| Footwear: | Specialist anti-slip footwear |
| Floor Cleaning Types: | Wet mopped, rinsed and dried |
| Floor Cleaning Frequency: | Once a day |
| Contamination Reoccurrence: | Recontaminated gradually after cleaning |
| Surface Usage: | Pedestrians carrying loads, Rushing pedestrians |
| Environmental Factors: | |
| Average Roughness Reading: | 13.2 |
| Roughness Readings: | 13, 12, 14, 15, 16, 12, 10, 13, 13, 14 |
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Making a difference - Judith Hackitt