Chelsea's King's Road retail, the hospital, and the high-value residential stock off Sloane Square all produce regular slip testing work. We cover SW3 for hospitality operators on the King's Road, healthcare clients at the Royal Brompton and Royal Marsden catchment, and residential managing agents responsible for communal areas in the period mansion blocks that define the area.
Chelsea's King's Road retail, the hospital, and the high-value residential stock off Sloane Square all produce regular slip testing work. We cover SW3 for hospitality operators on the King's Road, healthcare clients at the Royal Brompton and Royal Marsden catchment, and residential managing agents responsible for communal areas in the period mansion blocks that define the area.
Hospital corridors, retail entrance lobbies, and the external steps of period mansion blocks are the three most common Chelsea survey types.
The pendulum friction tester is the method recognised by the HSE, UKSRG and UK courts for assessing slip potential on hard floors. We record Pendulum Test Values (PTV) in both dry and wet (contaminated) conditions, with full photographic evidence, across every London postcode.
Surface micro-roughness (Rz) correlates strongly with wet pendulum performance. We use a portable surface roughness meter to record Rz values across test areas — a useful supplement to pendulum data and particularly valuable when investigating wear patterns on polished stone, resin and tiled floors.
We agree test areas, access arrangements and report format. Most London jobs are scoped within 24 hours of enquiry.
On-site pendulum or roughness testing, typically 1–3 hours. All readings photographed and logged with location references.
Readings compared against BS 7976 and HSE slip risk categories. Roughness cross-referenced where recorded.
Written report with PTV tables, photography, zone plans and plain-English recommendations — usually issued within 5 working days.
1 in 20 chance of a slip or greater. Floor fails to meet the recognised threshold and is likely to produce a claim in wet or contaminated conditions.
1 in 10,000 to 1 in 20. Borderline — management controls, cleaning regime and contamination must be carefully reviewed.
Better than 1 in 1,000,000 chance of a slip. The floor is considered to meet the recognised UK standard for slip resistance.
Pendulum slip testing in Chelsea typically ranges from £450 for a single-location survey to £1,200+ for multi-site or multi-area assessments. Costs depend on the number of test areas, accessibility, whether out-of-hours access is required, and report format. Every quote is fixed, written, and includes the on-site work, report and photography.
The Pendulum Test Value is the measurement produced by a pendulum friction tester under BS 7976. It is an index, not a unit. A PTV of 36 or above indicates a low slip potential, 25–35 moderate, and below 25 high. The HSE recognises pendulum testing as the method for assessing slip risk in the UK. Readings are taken in both dry and contaminated (wet) conditions to reflect real use.
A typical single-location pendulum survey in Chelsea takes 1–3 hours on site. Larger sites or multi-zone surveys may take longer. A written report with PTV readings, photographs, zone references and recommendations is usually issued within 5 working days. Faster turnaround is available for urgent incident response.
Slip testing is commonly instructed following a slip or fall incident, either by the occupier's insurer, the defendant's solicitor or the claimant's solicitor. Independent pendulum readings establish whether the floor met the recognised slip-resistance threshold at the time of testing, which is central to liability. Where possible, test as soon as practical — before cleaning regimes change or the floor is replaced.
Yes. Out-of-hours testing is standard for retail, hospitality, transport and healthcare clients. We routinely work evenings, nights and weekends across London. Pendulum testing is non-destructive and leaves no residue beyond the water used for wet readings.
Most real-world slips occur when a floor is wet or contaminated — spilt drinks, tracked-in rainwater, cleaning residue or grease. A floor can score a perfectly strong PTV dry and drop into high or moderate slip potential once water is introduced. Wet pendulum readings reflect real use and are usually the metric that matters for both compliance and litigation.
Tell us the site, the floor, and roughly when you need the report by. We will come back within one working day with a fixed, written quote.
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