UKAS ISO 17025 Independent · Nationwide UK Coverage
020 8246 5562 | info@surfaceperformance.com
UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited

Slip testing, independently verified across the UK.

Pendulum testing to BS 7976 and HSE standards — delivered by qualified engineers, reported by an accredited laboratory. We don't sell flooring, coatings or anti-slip products. Our results have no commercial agenda.

Request a Quote View Test Methods

The HSE numbers every duty-holder should know.

Slips, trips and falls are the single most common cause of workplace injury in the UK — and almost every one is preventable with proper testing and risk management.

30%
Of all non-fatal workplace injuries in the UK are caused by slips, trips and falls on the same level — the single biggest cause.
HSE 2024/25
£512m
Annual cost to UK employers in lost production and direct costs from slip and trip injuries.
HSE Estimate
204k
Approximate number of same-level slip, trip and fall injuries to UK workers each year.
HSE 2024/25
95%
Of major slip injuries result in broken bones — making them anything but minor in severity.
HSE Data
Services

From a single survey to a national portfolio.

Whether you're commissioning a one-off Pendulum test for a refurbished entrance or rolling out a quarterly programme across 200 retail sites, our service is built around the standard your insurer, HSE inspector and court will recognise.

01 — Pendulum

Pendulum Slip Testing

The HSE's preferred method for slip resistance assessment. Carried out to BS 7976-2 with full UKAS-accredited reporting. Suitable for in-situ floors in any environment.

Learn more 02 — Multi-Site

Multi-Site Portfolio

Coordinated programmes for facilities managers, retail estates and property portfolios. Centralised reporting, expiry tracking and consistent methodology across every site.

Learn more 03 — Food Mfg

Food Manufacturing

Specialist testing for wet-process environments where slip risk is elevated. We work around production schedules and integrate with BRC and SALSA audit requirements.

Learn more 04 — Lab Testing

Lab Testing for New Floors

Pre-installation slip resistance verification. Test sample tiles or substrate before specifying — avoid costly remediation by confirming PTV performance ahead of fit-out.

Learn more 05 — Consultancy

Floor Safety Consultancy

Expert advice on cleaning regimes, contamination control, surface specification and remediation strategy — informed by thousands of accredited tests and zero commercial bias.

Learn more 06 — Training

Slip Risk Awareness Training

On-site training for facilities and cleaning teams. Practical guidance on slip risk, contamination control and the everyday decisions that keep PTV scores within safe limits.

Learn more
Test Method

The HSE-recognised standard. Delivered to UKAS scope.

Primary Method

Pendulum (BS 7976)

The Pendulum Test Value (PTV) is the gold standard for slip resistance assessment in the UK. A weighted slider swings across the floor surface and measures kinetic friction. Tested wet and dry, with each result independently traceable to UKAS-calibrated equipment and issued under our ISO/IEC 17025 schedule of accreditation.

It's the method the HSE references in its guidance, the method insurers and HSE inspectors expect to see in evidence, and the method UK courts have recognised in slip-injury cases for decades. There is no substitute when the goal is documented, defensible evidence.

BS 7976Standard
UKASAccredited
HSERecognised
What You Get

The Accredited Report

Every Pendulum test produces a full UKAS-accredited test report with PTV results per location (wet and dry), HSE risk classification, photographic record, and clear remediation guidance where required.

Reports are written to be read — not just by the engineer who commissioned the test, but by the HSE inspector, the insurance adjuster and the duty-holder's solicitor. Plain-English summaries with the technical detail underneath, not the other way round.

Wet & DryPTV per location
PhotographicRecord included
HSERisk classified
Pendulum Test Value

Three risk categories. One number that determines them all.

The HSE classifies slip risk against the Pendulum Test Value. A single accredited test produces the figure that defines whether your floor meets the threshold — and the evidence to demonstrate it.

High Risk
0–24
Significant Slip Potential

The HSE recommends immediate intervention — surface treatment, replacement, or contamination control.

Moderate
25–35
Slips Reasonably Foreseeable

Risk management, signage and cleaning regime review are required. Frequent re-testing recommended.

Low Risk
36+
HSE Low-Risk Benchmark

The threshold for a low slip-risk surface. Where most well-specified commercial floors should sit.

Why Independence Matters

We sell one thing — accredited evidence.

Many slip testing providers also sell flooring, coatings, anti-slip treatments or remediation services. That's a conflict of interest. When the company testing your floor also sells the solution, every test result becomes a sales opportunity.

We don't sell anything but the test, the report, and the qualified opinion behind both. If your floor is safe, we'll tell you it's safe — and we'll give you the UKAS-accredited evidence you need to prove it.

  • No Product Sales

    We don't sell flooring, coatings, mats, treatments or anti-slip retrofits. Ever.

  • No Commission Structure

    Our engineers aren't paid more for finding problems that need products we sell.

  • No Vested Partnerships

    We don't take referral fees from flooring manufacturers or treatment companies.

  • UKAS-Accredited Reporting

    Independence backed by the highest level of laboratory accreditation in the UK.

Our Process

Four stages from enquiry to accredited report.

01

Scoping

We review your site, sector and intended use. Test method, sample density and reporting format are all agreed before any engineer is dispatched.

02

On-Site Testing

A qualified engineer visits with calibrated equipment. Tests are conducted to BS 7976 with documented locations, photographs and environmental conditions.

03

Accredited Report

You receive a full UKAS-accredited test report with PTV results per location, HSE classification, and clear remediation advice where required.

04

Ongoing Programme

For multi-site clients, we manage your testing schedule — annual revisits, expiry tracking, and a single point of contact for your estate.

Sectors We Serve

Every floor someone walks on is a floor that should be tested.

Retail & Shopping Centres

High-footfall public floors

Food Manufacturing

Wet-process environments

Hospitality & Leisure

Hotels, restaurants, gyms

Healthcare & NHS

Wards, theatres, public areas

Transport & Stations

Concourses, platforms, lounges

Education

Schools, colleges, universities

Commercial Offices

Receptions, lobbies, atria

Local Authority

Public buildings & estates

The team are professional, methodical, and — crucially — genuinely independent. The reports are accredited, the recommendations are practical, and there's never a flooring product being sold to us at the end of it.

Operations Manager National retail estate · 180+ sites tested
Guidance

The questions duty-holders ask most.

What is UKAS ISO 17025 accreditation and why does it matter?
UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for the technical competence of testing laboratories. It's the highest level of accreditation a slip testing provider can hold in the UK. UKAS-accredited results carry significantly more weight in HSE inspections, insurance defence and civil claims than unaccredited test reports — because the laboratory's competence has been independently audited and verified.
What is the Pendulum Test Value (PTV)?
The Pendulum Test Value (PTV) is the measurement produced by a pendulum floor friction tester to BS 7976. The HSE classifies floors with a PTV of 36 or above as low slip risk, 25 to 35 as moderate risk, and 24 or below as high slip risk. Tests are typically carried out in both dry and wet conditions to reflect real-world use.
Who is legally required to slip test their floors?
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, any duty-holder responsible for a floor used by employees or members of the public has a legal obligation to assess and manage slip risk. Slip testing provides the documented evidence required to demonstrate that risk has been formally assessed.
How often should floors be slip tested?
For most commercial environments we recommend annual testing, with more frequent testing in high-risk environments such as food manufacturing, swimming pool surrounds and entrance areas. Testing should also be carried out after any change of cleaning regime, surface treatment or refurbishment.
Do you sell flooring or anti-slip products?
No. We are completely independent. We do not sell flooring, coatings, treatments or anti-slip products. This means our test results and recommendations carry no commercial bias — we have no incentive to find a problem that requires a product we sell.
Can I test my floor myself with a handheld device?
There are portable slip-resistance instruments on the market and they have a valid place in operational monitoring — but they don't substitute for an accredited Pendulum test under BS 7976. Only a UKAS-accredited Pendulum result carries the evidential weight that HSE inspectors, insurers and courts recognise. We'd typically recommend an annual UKAS-accredited Pendulum test of record, with whatever in-house monitoring you wish to do alongside it.
Will a slip test help defend a public liability claim?
A documented slip test, particularly one issued under UKAS accreditation, is one of the strongest pieces of evidence a duty-holder can present. It demonstrates that risk was assessed, measured against the HSE benchmark, and acted on — which is precisely what insurance defence and civil claim cases require.
Request a Quote

Get a quote for UKAS-accredited slip testing.

Fill in the form and we'll come back with a clear scope, timeline and fixed fee — usually within 24 hours.

Call 020 8246 5562
Email info@surfaceperformance.com