Flooring Friction Coefficients

Today tribometry figures heavily into floor safety.

Flooring friction coefficients.

Slips and falls happen when the coefficient of friction cof between the two surfaces is insufficient. Coefficient of friction cof is a mathematical term used to describe the effect of dragging one substance shoe sole material over another flooring surface. Measuring coefficient of friction. Acutestsm determines dynamic coefficient of friction dcof with a sophisticated instrument called the bot 3000 a type of tribometer1 specific for flooring applications.

Floor slip resistance testing is the science of measuring the coefficient of friction or resistance to slip accidents of flooring surfaces either in a laboratory before or after installation or on floors in situ. Astm c1028 coefficient of friction coefficient of friction test cof floor slip resistance standards osha osha slip test scof skid test. Architects and designers play a direct role in the specification of safe floors and flooring materials which is why a dramatic new change to the standard governing coefficient of friction cof for ceramic tile means that specifiers need to get up to speed on the new testing methods to ensure their flooring specs remain up to par. This coefficient is a measurement of the relative ability of various surfaces to resist the sliding or slipping of the selected material.

Fpo katelyn simpson laboratory manager tile council of north america when it comes to coefficient of friction cof a measurement that relates to traction and tile. Original article november 1 2013. There is a reliable way to know how slippery floor tile will be under both wet and dry conditions. Slip resistance testing or floor friction testing is usually desired by the building s owner or manager when there has been a report of a slip and fall accident when there has.

Cof slip resistance ratings help you determine if you are buying the right tile for the right location. A 2003 report by the society for protective coatings states that flooring with a high static coefficient of friction scof 0 8 to 1 0 is actually more of a slip and fall hazard because the roughness of the surface can catch the sole of footwear and cause the person walking on the surface to trip and fall. There are standards that allow for these differences and safety direct america can supply the test data and safety standards to determine whether a particular flooring is appropriate. Cof or coefficient of friction slip ratings published by tile manufacturers.

A common method to measure the coefficient of friction on a floor involves a leather shoe heel which has a 50lb weight placed on it before being put flat onto the floor it is being tested on. The cof of two surfaces is the ratio of the horizontal or lateral and vertical or normal forces required to move one surface over another surface to the total force pressing the two surfaces together.