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Slip Form
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Spill Form
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Accident Risk
Surface Control provides free Apps for basic floor safety operations.
See the sections below for more information on how to use these tools.
More extensive and integrated versions of these Apps are also available as part of the FACTS system.
See the sections below for more information on how to use these tools.
More extensive and integrated versions of these Apps are also available as part of the FACTS system.
These Apps enable you to keep records of the slipperiness of the floor, the effectiveness of the barrier mats and the removal of any spills. These free apps enable you to capture vital data, including pictures, to defend any subsequent legal action. You can also calculate the possibility of an accident happening at all.
How to Use the Free Apps
The apps are independent applications that run on a smartphone, laptop or desktop that has a recent version of MS Internet Explorer or Edge, Google Chrome or Apple Safari or any other browser that supports HTML5.
Each App stores measurements, pictures, and notes in your device and they are stored there even when the device is turned off. You can download the information as a PDF report or as an Excel Spreadsheet, or you can send it by email to another device. You can collect measurements without being connected to the Internet. This is important because many internal locations in buildings have no mobile coverage. You will need to be connected to the internet to download and export information as the software to do that runs on our servers. We do not store or keep any record of the information on our servers.
To use them just click on one of the tiles above. The App will open in your device and create a copy of the App in your browser. Once it has opened you can continue to use it without needing an internet connection provided you do not close the App. If you lose the local copy you can refresh it any time by returning to this page. With normal use the recorded information will stay there permanently but events outside of our control such as software upgrades on the device may cause it to be removed. We therefore recommend that the information is downloaded or transferred regularly. If you want to remove the data from your device then you can do that by deleting the browser stored data and history using the settings in your browser.
Please note that the software is provided free of charge but subject to the Terms and Conditions set out in the Licence included with each App.
Each App stores measurements, pictures, and notes in your device and they are stored there even when the device is turned off. You can download the information as a PDF report or as an Excel Spreadsheet, or you can send it by email to another device. You can collect measurements without being connected to the Internet. This is important because many internal locations in buildings have no mobile coverage. You will need to be connected to the internet to download and export information as the software to do that runs on our servers. We do not store or keep any record of the information on our servers.
To use them just click on one of the tiles above. The App will open in your device and create a copy of the App in your browser. Once it has opened you can continue to use it without needing an internet connection provided you do not close the App. If you lose the local copy you can refresh it any time by returning to this page. With normal use the recorded information will stay there permanently but events outside of our control such as software upgrades on the device may cause it to be removed. We therefore recommend that the information is downloaded or transferred regularly. If you want to remove the data from your device then you can do that by deleting the browser stored data and history using the settings in your browser.
Please note that the software is provided free of charge but subject to the Terms and Conditions set out in the Licence included with each App.
Estimating the Risk of Accidents
The Accident Risk Estimator is designed to give a broad indication of the number of accidents that might occur in a single year in one location.
Accidents happen when someone slips on a floor and then cannot recover their balance so that they fall and injure themselves. Their ability to recover will depend on things like their age and fitness, whether they are carrying objects, or whether they are running.
The probability of the slip happening in the first place depends on the type of flooring material, the state of the floor and the type of footwear the person is wearing.
Most floors are safe when they are dry and uncontaminated. They become hazardous when they get wet with rainwater or with liquids spilled on them. Floors can be protected from this by barrier mats for rainwater and effective spill management for random spills.
The Accident Estimator lets you set sliders for the main factors based on the typical situation for a location. The probability of an accident for any one person is multiplied by the number of people crossing the floor in a year to give the annual prediction. Unless conditions are very bad this is likely to be a single digit number. That may not seem like a lot but bear in mind that each accident is likely to cost an average of over £15,000 in compensation and legal charges. A large organisation with many visitors like a supermarket or retail chain can soon incur costs running into the millions of pounds.
The Risk Estimator lets you record pictures and data on up to 10 locations. The results can be downloaded as an A4 PDF report that can be filed. You can also download the data as spread sheet that you can use to build up your own statistics. You can also send the results by email. So if you are visiting multiple locations you can send the results back to the office straight away. You can reuse the forms as many times as you like.
Accidents happen when someone slips on a floor and then cannot recover their balance so that they fall and injure themselves. Their ability to recover will depend on things like their age and fitness, whether they are carrying objects, or whether they are running.
The probability of the slip happening in the first place depends on the type of flooring material, the state of the floor and the type of footwear the person is wearing.
Most floors are safe when they are dry and uncontaminated. They become hazardous when they get wet with rainwater or with liquids spilled on them. Floors can be protected from this by barrier mats for rainwater and effective spill management for random spills.
The Accident Estimator lets you set sliders for the main factors based on the typical situation for a location. The probability of an accident for any one person is multiplied by the number of people crossing the floor in a year to give the annual prediction. Unless conditions are very bad this is likely to be a single digit number. That may not seem like a lot but bear in mind that each accident is likely to cost an average of over £15,000 in compensation and legal charges. A large organisation with many visitors like a supermarket or retail chain can soon incur costs running into the millions of pounds.
The Risk Estimator lets you record pictures and data on up to 10 locations. The results can be downloaded as an A4 PDF report that can be filed. You can also download the data as spread sheet that you can use to build up your own statistics. You can also send the results by email. So if you are visiting multiple locations you can send the results back to the office straight away. You can reuse the forms as many times as you like.
Measuring Floor Slip Resistance
One of the key factors in preventing accidents is the ability of the floor to resist slips in the first place. Scientifically this is known as the dynamic coefficient of friction and depends on many factors. These include what type of material the shoes walking on the floor are made from and whether the surface is contaminated with water or some other substance. For simplicity the Slip Resistance of a floor is measured using a standard type of shoe rubber with clean water as the contaminant. It also assumes a standard speed of walking. The result is expressed as a Slip Resistance Value or SRV. It may also be called the Pendulum Test Value or PTV after a piece of equipment commonly used to measure floors.
For a typical ordinary floor the SRV can vary from around 10 up to around 80. To give some real-life relevance to these numbers a figure of 10 would correspond to a slippery bath or shower tray and 80 would be a very rough surface like sandpaper. These figures can be converted to a probability of slipping. At an SRV of 10 a slip is virtually certain and at 80 is virtually impossible. A safe floor is considered to be one that has an SRV of more than 36 because at 36 the probability of slipping is one in a million (1:1,000,000). Floors that have an SRV of 36 or more when wet are often referred to as safety floors.
Commonly occurring floor materials such as vinyl sheet, ceramic tiles, or natural stone can have typical SRV values in the 50's when they are dry but they can drop by 20 points when they are wet. This means that is not uncommon for a typical vinyl floor to have an SRV in the low 20's when it gets wet, especially if it has been polished by wear. An SRV of 20 means an almost certain probability of slipping. So if the floor is being crossed by a large number of people the probability of an accident is very high.
The Accident Estimator App includes examples of typical floors to get an approximate estimate. To get a more accurate prediction of the floor safety it is necessary to get a test carried out to British Standard 7976. The Slip Form App is a convenient way of recording the results of the tests carried out using a Pendulum Tester by a professional tester.
The completed form contains all the information needed to determine the safety of the floor in wet and dry conditions. The App contains 10 forms that can be reused as many times as is necessary and each completed form can be downloaded as a PDF report or as a spreadsheet. It can also be emailed.
For a typical ordinary floor the SRV can vary from around 10 up to around 80. To give some real-life relevance to these numbers a figure of 10 would correspond to a slippery bath or shower tray and 80 would be a very rough surface like sandpaper. These figures can be converted to a probability of slipping. At an SRV of 10 a slip is virtually certain and at 80 is virtually impossible. A safe floor is considered to be one that has an SRV of more than 36 because at 36 the probability of slipping is one in a million (1:1,000,000). Floors that have an SRV of 36 or more when wet are often referred to as safety floors.
Commonly occurring floor materials such as vinyl sheet, ceramic tiles, or natural stone can have typical SRV values in the 50's when they are dry but they can drop by 20 points when they are wet. This means that is not uncommon for a typical vinyl floor to have an SRV in the low 20's when it gets wet, especially if it has been polished by wear. An SRV of 20 means an almost certain probability of slipping. So if the floor is being crossed by a large number of people the probability of an accident is very high.
The Accident Estimator App includes examples of typical floors to get an approximate estimate. To get a more accurate prediction of the floor safety it is necessary to get a test carried out to British Standard 7976. The Slip Form App is a convenient way of recording the results of the tests carried out using a Pendulum Tester by a professional tester.
The completed form contains all the information needed to determine the safety of the floor in wet and dry conditions. The App contains 10 forms that can be reused as many times as is necessary and each completed form can be downloaded as a PDF report or as a spreadsheet. It can also be emailed.
Checking Barrier Mats
For most locations to which the public have access the most common form of floor contamination is rainwater carried in on the feet and clothes of visitors.
To prevent this water being carried into the building barrier mats should be installed at all entrances if the internal flooring is likely to be hazardous when wet.
It is vital that these mats are large enough to be effective and that they are maintained in a clean and undamaged condition. Mats that are clogged with dirt or are very worn may be worse than useless.
The barrier Mat App enables you to keep records of the state of the Barrier Mats in your premises. You can record pictures of the mats showing their location and the state of the surface. Using a simple and low cost (~ £30) moisture meter that is widely available from most hardware stores you can keep a regular check on the condition and dryness of the mats. A typical meter from Maplin is shown here.
With the App you can record the information on up to 10 mats at a time and you can reuse the forms as many times as necessary. Each form can be downloaded as a PDF for filing or you can download a spreadsheet with the data on all the mats. The reports can also be emailed so for example a head office can conveniently get reports on the state of the mats in its retail outlets.
To prevent this water being carried into the building barrier mats should be installed at all entrances if the internal flooring is likely to be hazardous when wet.
It is vital that these mats are large enough to be effective and that they are maintained in a clean and undamaged condition. Mats that are clogged with dirt or are very worn may be worse than useless.The barrier Mat App enables you to keep records of the state of the Barrier Mats in your premises. You can record pictures of the mats showing their location and the state of the surface. Using a simple and low cost (~ £30) moisture meter that is widely available from most hardware stores you can keep a regular check on the condition and dryness of the mats. A typical meter from Maplin is shown here.
With the App you can record the information on up to 10 mats at a time and you can reuse the forms as many times as necessary. Each form can be downloaded as a PDF for filing or you can download a spreadsheet with the data on all the mats. The reports can also be emailed so for example a head office can conveniently get reports on the state of the mats in its retail outlets.
Managing Spills
New Box
Although rainwater is the most common form of wetting in public venues the next most common cause is contamination caused by accidental spills of liquid or the consequences of workplace activities.
If wet floors are a continuous possibility because of activities such as cooking or washing then a risk assessment should indicate that safety flooring material must be installed and possibly that staff working in such locations should be wearing appropriate non-slip footwear.
It is not possible to control the footwear of the public and it is not practical to install safety flooring in every location. In these locations it is important to have an established procedure for dealing with accidental spills. These can arise from dropped food and drink in cafeterias and restaurants or splashing from drinking fountains. People can drop drinks purchased from takeaway vendors and children can drop ice-creams. There can be also less pleasant contamination such as urine and faeces from animals. All these represent an unexpected safety hazard for other pedestrians.
Accidents can be prevented by regular monitoring of the locations and a timely response to any contamination. In the unfortunate event of an accident it is important for the location owner to show that they have procedures in place to minimise the impact of any spills.
The Spill Management App enables timed pictures to be recorded of the spill and of the subsequent clean up action taken. This will help to defend any claim by showing that all reasonable steps had been taken to mitigate the risk.
The App includes forms that enable up to 10 spill incidents to be recorded. The forms can be reused for more incidents as required. The resulting record can be downloaded as a PDF document for filing or as a spreadsheet for inclusion in a permanent record. The records can also be emailed, for example to a main office who can check that the necessary action is being taken.
If wet floors are a continuous possibility because of activities such as cooking or washing then a risk assessment should indicate that safety flooring material must be installed and possibly that staff working in such locations should be wearing appropriate non-slip footwear.
It is not possible to control the footwear of the public and it is not practical to install safety flooring in every location. In these locations it is important to have an established procedure for dealing with accidental spills. These can arise from dropped food and drink in cafeterias and restaurants or splashing from drinking fountains. People can drop drinks purchased from takeaway vendors and children can drop ice-creams. There can be also less pleasant contamination such as urine and faeces from animals. All these represent an unexpected safety hazard for other pedestrians.
Accidents can be prevented by regular monitoring of the locations and a timely response to any contamination. In the unfortunate event of an accident it is important for the location owner to show that they have procedures in place to minimise the impact of any spills.
The Spill Management App enables timed pictures to be recorded of the spill and of the subsequent clean up action taken. This will help to defend any claim by showing that all reasonable steps had been taken to mitigate the risk.
The App includes forms that enable up to 10 spill incidents to be recorded. The forms can be reused for more incidents as required. The resulting record can be downloaded as a PDF document for filing or as a spreadsheet for inclusion in a permanent record. The records can also be emailed, for example to a main office who can check that the necessary action is being taken.
ATP Measurements
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) is a molecule found only in and around living cells. Its presence can be used to detect organic material on surfaces and hence give an indication of their cleanliness. ATP is quantified by measuring the light produced through its reaction with the naturally-occurring firefly enzyme Luciferase using a Luminometer. The amount of light produced is measured in Relative Light Units (RLU) and is directly proportional to the amount of biological material present in the sample. The Pass and Fail levels will depend on the type of meter being used and considerations based on the type of surface being tested. Essentially surfaces like stainless steel that are easy to clean will have more stringent tests than surfaces that are absorbent or have crevices that are harder to clean effectively. For stainless steel, pass levels may be below 10 RLU and fail levels above 30 RLU. For more difficult surfaces the fail RLU level may be 300. Readings for surfaces heavily contaminated with food or other organic waste could reach 3000. The system does not accept readings above 3000.