A plain-English summary of the standards and guidance that govern slip resistance testing in the UK.
BS EN 16165:2021 ("Determination of slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces — Methods of evaluation") is the current European standard governing slip resistance testing in the UK. Released in December 2021 and adopted across the UK in February 2022, it consolidates four test methods that were previously published as separate national standards.
The UK national foreword to BS EN 16165 explicitly states that the pendulum test (Annex C) is considered the only one of the four methods that should be relied on to correctly assess pedestrian slip risk in wet conditions. This reflects more than four decades of UK forensic experience and aligns with HSE practice. Read more about BS EN 16165 testing.
BS 7976-2:2002+A1:2013 specified the method of operation of the pendulum tester for slip resistance assessment. It was withdrawn in February 2022 and replaced by BS EN 16165 Annex C. The technical method is essentially the same, but new specifications, contracts and tender documents should reference BS EN 16165 rather than BS 7976-2.
BS 8204 is a multi-part standard covering screeds, bases and in-situ floorings. Several parts reference slip resistance — typically requiring a minimum PTV of 36 wet — for the in-service finished floor. We provide pre-handover compliance testing for projects specified to BS 8204.
The Health and Safety Executive publishes substantial guidance on assessing and managing slip risk, including INDG225 ("Preventing slips and trips at work") and the more detailed HSL slip-assessment guidance. The HSE's PTV bands (0-24 high, 25-35 moderate, 36+ low slip potential) are derived from this work and remain the basis for interpreting BS EN 16165 Annex C results in UK practice.
ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. UKAS is the United Kingdom's national accreditation body, the only accreditation body recognised by the British Government. A laboratory holding UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation has demonstrated technical competence and management-system robustness against the standard, with independent surveillance audits.
The duties under HSWA 1974 — to take reasonably practicable steps to ensure health and safety — are the legal backdrop for almost every slip claim brought in the UK. Pendulum test data is the single most useful evidence available for demonstrating, or challenging, whether reasonable practicable steps were taken in respect of a particular floor.