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Floor Slip R Ratings - What is the Floor ‘R Rating’?

The slip resistance of floor surface materials are often classified on the basis of ‘DIN standards’*, which is a European Standard of Testing widely used and adopted by the UK for ‘Floor Slipperiness Classification’. The Floor R Rating values are determined by DIN 51130 ‘Ramp Testing’ to identify when a person walking will slip and fall. The method is to determine when a person slips whilst wearing heavily cleated EN:ISO 20345 Safety Boots shod with a sole and heel of a specific rubber hardness and with the floor contaminated with motor oil**. A person walks on a ramp and the ramp is gradually inclined to steeper angles until the person slips .

The R Rating is the value awarded dependent upon the slope angle the person slip and falls at

The R Rating starts at R9 (shallow slope angle) and goes through to R13 (steepest slope angle)

(The ‘R’ relates to the ‘R’ in Ramp Test)

* DIN is an equivalent to British Standard in the UK. It is an accepted standard in the UK. DIN stands for 'Deutsches Institut für Normung' or German Institute of Standardisation. It is the standard by which floor designers and architects specify to conform with building regulations and to offset possible Slip Accident Injury

** It has been our experience that oil and water or a mix thereof tend to give similar slip resistance values tested via the Pendulum Test Method

Important Caveat - The Ramp Test works by testing a specific floor type to be tested so the R Rating is representative of that floor type only. If you are a manufacturer that requires a specification raised for a specific floor type, then Ramp Testing will be the choice to make, but if you are a business wish to determine an ‘equivalent R Rating’ then the Floor Slip Pendulum Test is the correct tool for you and far, far cheaper than ramp testing!! Find out about the prices of floor pendulum testing

If you definitely need Ramp Testing then contact FloorSlip and we can advise you who to talk to

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN RESPECT TO FLOOR R RATINGS

Relationship of Floor R Ratings to Floor Pendulum Test Values

To make the ‘R Rating’ representative to multiple floor types (‘R Ratings’ are for a shod environment only*) it has been determined by the UK HSE in research (see links below) that the R Ratings are equivalent to the following range of Floor Slip Pendulum Test Values. Note - as the values are in a range, any value below R12 is likely not to achieve the UK HSE requirements of 36 PTV on a WET Floor to unsure the floor is safe and a ‘Low Probability of Slip’

*For Dedicated WET Floor environments such as Wet Rooms, Showers, Swimming Pools and Jacuzzies etc. use the DIN 51097 ABC Ratings - Select this link to see more information on DIN 51097 ABC Ratings

DIN 51130 ‘R Ratings’ for SHOD Floor Environments

Table of Floor R Ratings FOR SHOD FEET with respect to the Pendulum Test Value at specific floor slope angles

Note - PTV (Pendulum Test Values) become less effective for each degree of slope by 1.75PTV - i.e.  for every one degree of slope - remove 1.75 PTV off the Pendulum Test Value - for example - a floor that achieves 36 PTV at 0 degrees floor slope will only achieve 36 - 1.75 PTV = 34.25 PTV at one degree of slope. See more detail on floor slope angles

IMPORTANT - DO NOT trust suppliers ‘advertised’ claims of R Ratings; they are often over inflated values. In ALL cases from R9 to R13 listed below, unless a supplier / manufacturer can supply a valid DIN 51130 R Rating  test certificate for the floor type chosen or a Test Certificate for Pendulum Testing to BS7976-2 then do not trust the data. If valid certification can not be provided by suppliers then get an off site floor sample pendulum tested before laying a floor and an on-site Pendulum Test conducted post fitting the first flooring Or…. YOU WILL BE LIABLE TO SLIP INJURY CLAIMS

Din 51130 R Rating Classification R9  - Slippery When Wet in ALL Cases

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range  

 0 Degrees - 11 to 18 PTV

 1 Degree  - 9 to 16 PTV

 2 Degrees - 8 to 15 PTV

 3 Degrees - 6 to 13 PTV

 4 Degrees - 4 to 11 PTV

 5 Degrees - 2 to 9 PTV

 6 Degrees - 1 to 8 PTV

    

Din 51130 R Rating Classification R10 - Slippery When Wet in ALL Cases

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range  

 0 Degrees - 18 to 34 PTV

 1 Degree  - 16 to 32 PTV

 2 Degrees - 15 to 31 PTV

 3 Degrees - 13 to 29 PTV

 4 Degrees - 11 to 27 PTV

 5 Degrees - 9 to 25 PTV

 6 Degrees - 8 to 24 PTV

    

Din 51130 R Rating Classification R11 ‘Sometimes’ Slippery When Wet; Pendulum Test proves exact values

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range  

R11 0 Degrees 34 to 51 PTV

 1 Degree  - 32 to 49 PTV

 2 Degrees - 31 to 48 PTV

 3 Degrees - 29 to 46 PTV

 4 Degrees - 27 to 44 PTV

 5 Degrees - 25 to 42 PTV

 6 Degrees - 24 to 41 PTV

    

Din 51130 R Rating Classification R12 - First ‘R Value’ where 36 PTV always occurs. It is suggested (as a minimum) to Get the Floor / Floor Sample Pendulum Tested at 8 Degrees of slope or more to prove the exact value if slopes greater than 8 Degrees will be / are found

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range  

 0 Degrees - 51 to 70 PTV

 1 Degree  - 49 to 68 PTV

 2 Degrees - 48 to 67 PTV

 3 Degrees - 46 to 65 PTV

 4 Degrees - 44 to 63 PTV

 5 Degrees - 42 to 61 PTV

 6 Degrees - 41 to 60 PTV

 7 Degrees - 39 to 58 PTV

 8 Degrees - 37 to 56 PTV

 9 Degrees - 35 to 54 PTV - drops below 36 PTV at 9 Degrees

    

Din 51130 R Rating Classification R13 - 36 PTV always occurs - typical for wheelchair ramps but angles greater than 19 degrees will mean the value drops below the UK HSE Required 36 PTV to ensure a ‘Low Slip Potential’

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range  

 0 Degrees - 70 PTV

 1 Degree  - 68 PTV  

 2 Degrees - 67 PTV  

 3 Degrees - 65 PTV  

 4 Degrees - 63 PTV  

 5 Degrees - 61 PTV  

 6 Degrees - 60 PTV

 19 Degrees - 37 PTV - drops below 36 PTV after 19 Degrees

 

Data Sources

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis2.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/SLIPS/step/education/Advanced/8E7F777B-3B84-49FE-A3D6-D0324E25A801/HSLCourseTemplate/28531/slidetype1_130599.htm - Note - The UK HSE Website gives values in 'COF'. COF (Coefficient of Friction) - multiplied by 100 equals the PTV (Pendulum Test Value), for example 0.34 COF x 100 = 34 PTV

DIN 51097 ABC Ratings for BARE FOOT / WET Floor Environments

For dedicated WET Floor environments - for example Showers, Wet Rooms, Swimming Pools, Changing Rooms, Saunas and And Jacuzzis etc. use the DIN 51097 ABC Barefoot Ratings. DIN 51097 Ramp Testing uses barefoot operators with a soap solution as the contaminant in the ramp test (Read details on the ramp test at the beginning of this page)

Table of Floor ‘ABC’ Ratings FOR BARE FEET with respect the Pendulum Test Value at specific floor slope angles

Note - PTV (Pendulum Test Value) drop per degree of slope =  1.75 PTV - i.e.  for every one degree of slope - remove 1.75 PTV off the Pendulum Test Value - for example - a floor that achieves 36 PTV at 0 degrees floor slope will only achieve 36 - 1.75 PTV = 34.25 PTV at one degree of slope. See more detail on floor slope angles

In all cases it is suggested to only use a Din 51097 ‘C’ Rating to ensure compliance with the HSE recommendation (expectations!) to achieve a low risk of slip.

It has been our experience that procurement of DIN 51097 Rated flooring products can be difficult to achieve. It is therefore suggested to aim at a high value ‘R Rated’ floor - minimum of R12 and ideally R13 and get FloorSlip to perform a Pendulum Sample Test using a 55 IRHD* rubber, which is considered according to BS-7976 and UKSRG Guidelines to be a rubber hardness consistent with the hardness of bare feet

*International Rubber Hardness Degree

IMPORTANT - DO NOT trust suppliers ‘advertised’ claims of ABC Ratings - they are often over inflated values. In ALL cases from A to C Rating listed below, unless a supplier / manufacturer can supply a valid DIN 51097 ABC Rating test certificate for the floor type chosen or a Test Certificate for Pendulum Testing to BS7976-2 then then do not trust the data. If a valid certificate can not be provided by the suppliers the get an off site floor sample pendulum tested before laying a floor and on-site Pendulum Test conducted post fitting the first flooring or YOU WILL BE LIABLE TO SLIP INJURY CLAIMS

Din 51097 Classification ‘A’ - always slippery when WET

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range   

 0 Degrees 21 to 31 PTV

 1 Degree 19 to 29 PTV

 2 Degrees 18 to 28 PTV

 3 Degrees 16 to 26 PTV

 4 Degrees 14 to 24 PTV

 5 Degrees 12 to 22 PTV

 6 Degrees 11 to 21 PTV

     

Din 51097 Classification ‘B’ - always slippery when WET

Floor Slope Angle - PTV Range   

 0 Degrees 32 to 42 PTV

 1 Degree 30 to 40 PTV

 2 Degrees 29 to 39 PTV

 3 Degrees 27 to 37 PTV

 4 Degrees 25 to 35 PTV

 5 Degrees 23 to 33 PTV

 6 Degrees 22 to 32 PTV

     

Din 51097 Classification C - should be acceptable for predominantly WET areas - provided floors do not exceed 5 degrees of slope (and always allow a minimum of 10% or 4 PTV for wear, which will reduce the ability of a floor to resist slips)

Floor Slope Angle - PTV   

 0 Degrees 45 PTV   

 1 Degree 43 PTV   

 2 Degrees 42 PTV   

 3 Degrees 40 PTV   

 4 Degrees 38 PTV   

 5 Degrees 36 PTV   

 6 Degrees 35 PTV  

Source of data

http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/STEP/education/advanced/8E7F777B-3B84-49FE-A3D6-D0324E25A801/HSLCourseTemplate/28531/slidetype1_130609.htm NOTE - The UK HSE Website gives values in 'COF'. COF (Coefficient of Friction) - multiplied by 100 equals the PTV (Pendulum Test Value), for example 0.34 COF x 100 = 34 PTV

The Probability of Slips on Floors

The Probability of Slip has been determined by consultants and tribologists working with and on behalf of the HSE and the HSL as occurring in an exponential manner - i.e. - not linear.

It might be assumed (wrongly) that if the Pendulum Test Value of 36 PTV is representative of probability of slip of 1 in 1 million, then the risk of slip at 34 PTV would be just a little less, but in fact it is 10 times worse!!

And a drop of 36 PTV to 18 PTV (or half of 36 PTV) is a drop of probability of slip from from 1 in 1 million to worse than 1 in 20 - i.e. a probability of slip at 50,000 times worse than the HSE expectations of 36PTV when WET or Contaminated - and if a floor can become wet / contaminated, then always work towards providing a minimum of 36 PTV on a horizontal (0 degree) floor slope and adjust by 1.75 PTV for every one degree of slope

Keywords - Floor Slip R Ratings, Floor Testing ABC Ratings, Wet Floor Ratings, Ramp Test Ratings, Floor Safety Ratings

Services supplied across the UK from Lands End to Dover and Southampton to John O-Groats Contact Northern Regional Office -  07774 323267 - Contact Southern Regional Office   07506 559952. Contact by Phone or E:mail FloorSlip for more info

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