Sep 4 2009
CERAM, a leading provider of slip resistance testing, has become one of a select few companies that can offer fully accredited slip resistance testing on site. The expansion of the company's ISO 17025 accredited laboratory testing service (www.ceram.com/slip) to include on-site testing follows a UKAS assessment of the on-site pendulum test earlier this year. CERAM has contributed to the development of a number of European slip resistance Standards, and with over forty years' experience in slip resistance testing is a well-known authority in the field.
Measurement of the slip resistance of external pedestrian surfaces such as tiled floors and pavers is critical to the safety of those using them. This is a key factor in safety assessments and for the avoidance of potential litigation. CERAM provides the laboratory testing of individual tiles and pavers in its UKAS (ISO 17025) accredited laboratories. There is a clear need for on-site testing to be supported through the same accreditation in order to verify the traceability and QC of results. The accreditation will also confer greater credibility on results that are used in court, where CERAM regularly provides expert witness services.
The on-site pendulum test has been assessed to the British Standards Institution's BS 7976 Part 2: 2002 during a recent annual surveillance by UKAS, and an extension to the scope was granted for the laboratory-based test accreditation to cover slip resistance tests conducted on-site as well as within CERAM's Penkhull laboratories.
"CERAM has offered a fully comprehensive on-site slip resistance consultancy service for many years," commented Lisa Cobden, Senior Consultant at CERAM. "In conjunction with the new accreditation, CERAM is now able to offer an on-site slip resistance service for those simply requiring independent on-site verification of co-efficient friction data utilising a UKAS Accredited test. This service has traditionally only been available in the laboratory and so we are really pleased that we can now offer it on site".