Every supermarket, leisure centre, hospital, airport and factory faces compensation claims and disruption because of people slipping. The problem until now has been the difficulty of getting simple and reliable measurements of floor surface quality.

Surface Control solves these problems with simple, yet powerful floor-monitoring solutions.

Click here to see how. 

We can help you fulfill your Duty of Care. Click the button to find out how we can help.

• How Safe is your floor?
  Accurate and proven slip test measurements
• Reduce the danger of expensive litigation from injury
  Full risk assessment by trained staff
• Eliminate false claims
  Test report with results to certified standards
• Compliance within the Workplace Act
  All test measurements to HSE Guidelines
• Reduced insurance premiums
  Proven and traceable reporting history
• Peace of mind
  The most comprehensive regular Slip and Trip Safety Audit available

Building floor surfaces are expensive to install and must be properly specified and tested and then maintained if they are to retain their non slip finish so that they are safe for public access. The building owners and those responsible for floor safety have a duty of care to maintain the floor in a safe condition. Floors can be damaged by normal wear but also by incorrect floor cleaning methods. Floor surface roughness can be reduced by buffing and polishing with the wrong materials and the surface finish can be clogged with soaps and detergents if they are used excessively. Proper barrier mats need to be in place to prevent dirt and water being brought into a building and making the floor unsafe. A full risk assessment followed by regular checks on the floor can deliver a safe environment for everybody.

Preventive action to improve floor safety is essential if slips and trips are to be avoided. Slips trips and falls in the workplace can be very dangerous and lead to other secondary complications. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can conduct forensic tests with a TRL Pendulum test after a slipping accident but by then it is too late. Slipping accidents are of course very unfortunate for the slip victim but the cost of defending an accident claim by the building operator can be very high. Typical settlements for minor slip accidents can run into thousands of pounds and major slip injuries can be very expensive indeed. Slip resistant flooring can be installed to improve floor safety but this type of floor only retains its slip resistance characteristics with proper maintenance and cleaning. Proper floor safety can only be maintained by regular monitoring of the floor characteristics after a thorough slips trips and falls risk assessment has been done.

Surface Control has overcome these difficulties by creating the Slip Guardian unit. It mimics the essential features of the TRL Pendulum by using the same 4S rubber shoe which impacts the floor surface in exactly the same way as the TRL Pendulum. However it does it in a compact computer controlled unit that weights less than five kilograms. The simple operation of the Slip Guardian Unit means that it can be operated by staff with minimal training and its compact size and zero set up time means that it can be used in busy areas without disruption. It has a digital readout of the floor slip resistance values (SRV). These results are the same values that would be produced by the TRL Pendulum and can give an immediate indication whether floor is safe in both wet and dry conditions. The critical level is an SRV of 36. At this level the probability of a slip accident is less than one in one million. However small amounts of contamination from detergent or dirt can easily drop the SRV below this and at round 25 the probability of an accident has increased to one in two hundred. If the floor is seriously contaminated or excessively polished then the probability of a slip accident rises to one in twenty. Fo a busy supermarket or hotel or public area this means that an accident is almost certain.  The floor surface results from Slip Guardian are available via a secure web site and can be distributed electronically to managers, building maintenance staff, and cleaning contractors who can then take immediate action to rectify any floor related problems.

Floor safety is improved by building up a complete picture of the floor surface quality over time any trends for floor deterioration or reduction in floor safety can be seen and corrected before the floor becomes unsafe and a slip accident occurs. It is also possible to reduce floor maintenance costs by minimising the excessive use of detergents and cleaning materials. Incorrect floor cleaning practices can also be spotted early and the necessary corrective maintenance action can be taken. Replacing a floor is an expensive last resort and with the proper floor maintenance monitored regularly by a machine such as the Slip Guardian the life of a floor can be extended by many years whilst providing a safe and clean environment for the public and staff that are crossing the floor.