Slip testing for underground public safety

SATRA Technology Centre has been working with Metronet Rail to help ensure safe walking conditions on installed floors prior to handover to London Underground.

Selection of flooring is part of the process to ensure safe walking conditions, and the actual installation process can affect the performance of the floor.

SATRA's site investigation team attended various London Underground sites and conducted the relevant tests including slip risk assessment of the installation to ensure suitability.

The SATRA slip potential model looked at both controllable and predictable factors.

The controllable factors are those that can usually be changed or influenced by a direct or indirect action, for instance the floor type, the environment, use, footwear (occupational applications where footwear can be controlled) and contamination.

Predictable factors are assessed bearing in mind the final use of the surface in question: the users, their footwear (public access) and the expected behaviour are all significant.

By applying this holistic approach, SATRA was able to offer advice on improvements and/or management systems to keep the risk of personal injury due to slips within London Underground stations to a minimum.

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