KANBrief 1/25
In 2023, around 172,000 reportable accidents caused by tripping, falling and slipping occurred in the public and private sectors in Germany. These accounted for 25% of all occupational accidents. According to statistics from the German Social Accident Insurance (in German), almost two thirds of these accidents can be attributed to the floor covering. With the EN 16165 standard, the standard test methods applied in Europe for the slip resistance of floor coverings have been condensed for the first time and a harmonized test specification has thereby been created.
For slip accidents to be prevented, priority must be given to the design of the work premises and work processes and to testing and evaluation of slip resistance. The slip resistance of floors must be compliant with the German Ordinance on workplaces (ArbStättV). This requirement is specified in the ASR A1.5 Technical Rule for work premises (floors), which sets out requirements for the slip-resistant properties of floor surfaces and testing of these properties. Annex 1 of ASR A1.5 describes the procedure for testing floor coverings in accordance with EN 16165 (Annex B) and assigns the floor coverings to the assessment groups R 9 (lowest slip resistance) to R 13 (highest slip resistance). As a general rule, the greater the risk of slipping due to work-related or weather-related soiling, the higher the requirements for the slip resistance of the floor covering.
The following criteria are used to assess the risk of slipping:
In some work areas, such as kitchens, car repair workshops or outdoors, the surfaces of the floor coverings must have the capacity to absorb a certain quantity of lubricants (e.g. oil, water, dirt) and thus remove them from the pedestrian surface. To ensure that a floor covering is suitable for certain workrooms or work areas, ASR A1.5 therefore additionally requires a displacement space to absorb these substances, such as open cavities, intentional unevenness or profiling in the floor covering. Four assessment groups (groups V 4 to V 10) are specified, with successively stricter requirements for the displacement space.
The requirement for certain properties to be present is based on objective criteria and suitable test methods. Floor coverings’ anti-slip properties are tested to EN 16165 (Annex B) in accordance with the ASR A1.5 workplace rule for floors. During the test, a person walks forwards and backwards with an upright posture on the floor covering under test. The incline of the floor covering is increased in steps until the person begins to slip. The average angle at which slipping occurs, calculated from a series of values obtained from tests performed with two test persons, determines assignment of the floor covering to an assessment group from R 9 to R 13 (see table). For testing of floor coverings for wet areas, the standard also describes a test method with a ramp wetted with water (Annex A).
| Slip resistance assessment group | Angle at which slipping occurs, in ° |
| R 9 | From 6 to 10 |
| R 10 | Greater than 10 and up to 19 |
| R 11 | Greater than 19 and up to 27 |
| R 12 | Greater than 27 and up to 35 |
| R 13 | Greater than 35 |
Assessment groups for the slip resistance of floor coverings for workrooms and work areas presenting a risk of slipping
This walk test method is purely a laboratory test method for the assessment of type samples. The type examination is very important, as planning and correct selection of products would not otherwise be possible. However, it does not permit conclusions regarding the slip resistance of a floor covering in use in situ (pdf, in German), since in practice, incorrect installation, improper care, ageing, wear and tear and soiling are often causes of slip accidents.
To enable corrective and preventive measures to be implemented, the slip-resistant properties of floor coverings must be determined in-situ in accordance with DGUV Informative publication 208-041 (assessment of the risk of slipping under conditions of use). This test is also described in EN 16165 (Annex D). A measuring instrument fitted with sliders is drawn across a floor covering at a constant velocity, and the tractive force required for this purpose is measured over a specified distance. A range of shoe sole materials can be fitted to the sliders. In addition, the lubricant media that arise in use (e.g. oils or other soiling media) can be applied in the test. The coefficient of sliding friction µ is the ratio between the tractive force and the force acting vertically. The floor system, comprising floor, shoe and lubricant, is evaluated. Measured values below µ = 0.30 indicate a high risk of slipping, values between 0.30 and 0.45 a medium risk of slipping and values greater than 0.45 a low risk of slipping.
The fourth method described in EN 16165 is a pendulum test (Annex C). This test is used in Germany primarily for testing road surfaces. The results yielded by the four different test methods are not comparable with each other. However, since a test method suitable for universal use does not exist, each of the four methods has its own purpose.
The volume of the displacement space is determined in accordance with DIN 51130, Testing of floor coverings. The open cavity volume in the surface of the floor covering is filled with a test paste for this purpose. The volume of the displacement space can be determined from the difference in weight between the floor covering in its untreated state and when filled with the test paste, in consideration of the density.
The DGUV’s Expert committee Trade and Logistics and the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the DGUV (IFA) have been addressing the testing of floor coverings (in German) since 1979. The test methods, introduced initially at national level, have been continuously developed and incorporated into EN 16165.
Each year, the IFA draws up a list (in German, fee applies) of tested floor coverings for workrooms and work areas presenting a risk of slipping5 that have been assigned to an assessment group for slip resistance and, if applicable, to an assessment group for the displacement space, and for which a valid test report from a type examination by the IFA is available.
Olaf Mewes, olaf.mewes@dguv.de
Orhan Ceylan, orhan.ceylan@dguv.de
Christoph Wetzel, c.wetzel@bghw.de