The pendulum test is used to determine the amount of friction generated by a surface whenever a foot makes contact with it. It is capable of determining the slip risk potential of wet, dry, and contaminated flooring.
Defend Yourself – the Pendulum Test
The Pendulum Test, known by the name the Sigler Pendulum Tester, was created and used for floor and skid tests in the 1940s by Percy Sigler at the National Bureau of Standards. Its primary purpose was to determine the slip resistance properties of all sorts of hard surfaces and floors.
The Pendulum Slip Test was initially used in government buildings before being updated by the UK Transport Testing Facility in the 1950s. They were hoping to be capable of testing a road’s skid resistance and assisting drivers in avoiding skidding. Although, until the 1970s, the Pendulum Slip Resistance Test was not fully updated for slip testing of a commercial floor, it is currently among the most reliable and trusted methods for determining the slip resistance of a floor. This ground-breaking test not only transformed the slip floor sector but also contributed to the safety of oil rigs, sports surfaces, and everyday workplace floors. Today, HSE’s preferred in situ test method BS 7976
Uses of Pendulum Test
Airport,museums,stadiums,Hotels,RailWay stations,Public Building,restaurants,Malls and more
Why Is the Test Necessary?
UK firm faces millions of injury claims because of slips on surfaces that are wet or slick. According to the UK Health & Safety Executive, slip resistance testing and inspections of business flooring systems are critical for the same reason to keep workers safe.
36 Pendulum Test Value is the minimum value that is necessary to ensure low slip risk on all floors. This Pendulum Test Value increases if there is a greasy or wet floor.
Evidence in Court:
The Pendulum Test is one of the most well-known procedures for testing floors and replicating risk assessment conclusions in a court of law. That is why you can, without a doubt, use it in courts.
Steps for the Slip Test:
- A precise weight is attached to the pendulum swing arm’s end and spun to a certain height above the ground, and released. This is Edwin Gilbert Izod’s impact strength technique.
- Once it’s released, the heel of a person on a wet floor is reproduced after freeing the arm of a rubber heal (sprung loaded) and releasing the heal at the floor. This does the work of measurement of the impact that is caused and the slide.
- The distance travelled by the arm from across the floor is calculated, resulting in the floor’s slipperiness.
