School & public building slip testing in Sunderland
Schools, libraries and council buildings owe a duty of care to thousands of people a day. Routine slip testing is how you show that duty is being met.
Accredited. Independent. Defensible.
Every test is carried out by a UKAS-accredited technician and reported to the standard the HSE, building-control bodies, insurers and the courts recognise. The full range of methods, properly documented — so the result isn’t just a number, it’s evidence.
Due diligence you can hand over
High footfall, busy entrances, dining halls and sports areas all generate slip risk, and public bodies are held to a high bar. Routine pendulum testing demonstrates due diligence under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
We cover rain-soaked entrances and corridors, canteens, sports halls and changing rooms — and give estates teams clear, accredited evidence.
Whole-site, few tests: a handful of well-chosen tests usually maps the key risk areas of a building, keeping cost and disruption down.
Where we test
Primary and secondary schools, the University of Sunderland, colleges, libraries, leisure facilities and council buildings across Sunderland and the North East.
When to test
After refurbishment, before a new term, after any incident, and in routine annual safety reviews.
The methods, and when we use them
We pick the method that fits the surface and how it’s used — then document it to the standard the HSE, insurers and the courts expect.
Pendulum (PTV) testing
The HSE’s preferred in-situ method. A calibrated pendulum produces a Pendulum Test Value, wet and dry, to BS EN 16165.
Shod & barefoot
Slider 96 stands in for footwear; Slider 55 for barefoot areas such as pools, showers and changing rooms.
Surface roughness
Microroughness profiling, read alongside the pendulum data to judge slip potential under wet contamination.
R-rating & ABC
Findings related to ramp-test R-ratings (DIN 51130) and barefoot A/B/C ratings where a specification calls for them.
Questions, answered
Q01Does testing help prove compliance?
Yes. Routine, independent PTV testing supports due-diligence evidence under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Q02Can you test in term time?
Yes — tests are quick and unobtrusive, and we’ll work around timetables or attend during holidays and inset days.
Q03How many tests does a school need?
It depends how many different surfaces you have. Usually a handful maps the key risk areas of a building.