The law

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

• Employers have to ensure their employees and anyone else who could be affected by their work (such as visitors, members of the public, patients etc.), are kept safe from harm and that their health is not affected. This means slip and trips risks must be controlled to ensure people do not slip, trip and fall.
• Employees must use any safety equipment provided and must not cause danger to themselves or others.
• Manufacturers and suppliers have a duty to ensure that their products are safe. They must also provide information about appropriate use.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

build on the requirements of the Act and include duties on employers to assess risks (including slip and trip risks) and where necessary take action to safeguard health and safety.

The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992

require floors to be suitable for the workplace and work activity, kept in good condition and kept free from obstructions. Also, people must be able to move around safely.

For more information on the law you can either read the leaflet ‘Preventing slips and trips at work: A brief guide’ ING225, which can be viewed electronically or if you wish to see the regulations themselves, they are also available.

Case law

The decision of a Court of Appeal case, Ellis v Bristol City Council, with important implications for employers and the suitability of their flooring'

British and European Standards

Slip resistance properties of flooring materials and footwear are covered by various standards with Europe. Below is a brief guide to the most common ones.

BS7976

Describes the specification, operation and calibration of the Pendulum test, used for assessment of floor surface slipperiness under both dry and contaminated conditions. The results are reported as Pendulum Test Value or Slip Resistance Value and are approximately 100 times the coefficient of friction. The Pendulum test is used routinely by the Health & Safety Laboratory on behalf of HSE.

DIN51130

Laboratory based ramp test, using cleated safety boots and motor oil contamination. Results are reported as an R value, on a scale from R9 to R13, with R9 being the least slip resistant. Floors which perform well in the test do not necessarily perform well with water contamination.

DIN51097

Laboratory based ramp test, using barefoot operators with soapy water as the contaminant. Results are reported as Class A, B or C, with A being the least slip resistant. Floors which perform well in the test do not necessarily perform well with clean water contamination.

EN13845

Laboratory based ramp test specifically for resilient floor coverings with enhanced slip resistance. The test uses standardised footwear and soapy water contamination. Floors which perform well in the test do not necessarily perform well with clean water contamination.

EN13287

Laboratory based mechanical slip resistance test for safety / occupational footwear. Uses several surfaces and contaminants to assess footwear. The test is not thought to differentiate between footwear with differing levels of slip resistance under some test conditions, and so is of limited use in selecting slip resistant shoes for a particular environment.

For further information on slip resistance tests, see HSE information sheet: Assessing the slip resistance of flooring.