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UKSRG / HSL Ramp Test |
The UKSRG HSL ramp test is a modification to existing DIN ramp tests to account for the common footwear/contaminant combination found in public spaces.
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A video of the similar "HSL ramp test" being conducted can be found as part of the HSE's STEP tool.
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Flooring samples are mounted horizontally on the ramp tester and a subject clad in 4S (Standard Simulated Shoe Sole) shoes performs a standardised walk up and down the sample. The sample is slowly inclined and the process repeated while clean water is fed onto the surface. The angle at which the subject slips is recorded.
The HSL ramp test provides a good indication of the performance of a flooring materials subject to common everyday footwear and water based contamination. Water based contamination is a very common cause of slip accidents, whether from a badly managed external doorway, cleaning regimes, splashes from sinks/drinks, leaky roofs or condensation. |
The HSL ramp test is found to correlate well with the pendulum provided that the 4S soles used on the ramp and 4S slider used on the pendulum are prepared in the same way. This serves to demonstrate the pendulum's capability to effectively model a pedestrian heel slip and furthermore strengthens the HSL ramp test as a valuable and versatile insight into the slip resistance properties of flooring materials.
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The drawback of this method, and indeed all 'in-house' test methods is that tests are usually conducted on ex-factory samples. It is often the case that flooring installed and in use for a short period of time will have a different slip resistance to flooring leaving the factory. This is due to factory sealants wearing off, new sealants/polishes being applied, cleaning regimes and contamination. It is for this reason that the pendulum is such a widely used tool as it is the only accurate measure of slip resistance in situ as experienced by pedestrians using the surface.
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As far as we are aware there are only a few laboratories in the country with the facilities required to conduct the above ramp tests, they are;
SATRA Lucideon (formerly CERAM) RAPRA The HSL |
Aggressively profiled surfaces such as this metal grating cannot be effectively tested with the pendulum. The HSL ramp test provides an alternative accurate and industry recognised method to determine the CoDF of the surface.
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