UKAS ISO 17025 Accredited Pendulum Slip Testing

Independent pendulum slip resistance testing to BS EN 16165:2021 (Annex C) — formerly BS 7976-2 — the HSE's preferred method for assessing slip risk on UK floors. Court-defensible reports for property managers, architects, retailers, insurers and litigation teams nationwide.

UKAS Accredited ISO/IEC 17025 testing laboratory
BS EN 16165 Annex C Replaces BS 7976-2 since 2022
UK-Wide Coverage Engineers across England, Wales, Scotland
CPR Part 35 Compliant Reports written for litigation
What we do

The pendulum test, done properly

The pendulum is the only slip resistance test method the UK Health and Safety Executive considers reliable for assessing wet-floor slip risk. Originally specified under BS 7976-2 and now under BS EN 16165:2021 (Annex C), we deliver the test under UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation — the technical-competence standard required for reports that need to stand up to insurers, building control bodies and the courts.

Designed for litigation

Our reports are written to comply with CPR Part 35 from the outset. Methodology, calibration record, individual swing data, photographs and reasoned interpretation against HSE guidance — everything a tribunal expects to see.

Expert witness service →

Designed for compliance

Pre-handover BS 8204 testing, insurance-mandated periodic audits, post-installation flooring verification. We run the test, identify the zones that fall short, and provide the documentation needed to close them out.

BS 8204 handover testing →

Designed for risk management

If you manage premises with foreseeable slip risk — supermarkets, hotels, schools, hospitals, leisure — periodic pendulum data is the most defensible evidence available that you have taken reasonable practicable steps under HSWA 1974.

Insurance audit programmes →
Industries we test

Sector-specific pendulum testing

Different environments produce different slip risks. The pendulum test is the same; the contaminants, contractual thresholds, case law and remedial options vary substantially. Our industry pages cover what actually matters in each context.

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Technical reference

Guides for specifiers, surveyors and litigators

If you need to specify, interpret, challenge or defend pendulum test data, these guides cover the technical detail that the UK slip-testing market mostly leaves out. Written for professionals — not for SEO.

PTV interpretation guide

The HSE bands (0-24, 25-35, 36+) explained — including the wet/dry distinction, the Slider 96 vs 55 question, and how PTV cross-references to BS 8204 and insurance schedules.

Read the guide →

BS EN 16165 (formerly BS 7976-2)

The current European standard, its four annexes (barefoot ramp, shod ramp, pendulum, tribometer), and what changed when it replaced BS 7976-2 in February 2022.

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Why UKAS matters

The technical and legal difference between an accredited and a non-accredited slip report — and why insurers and tribunals weight them differently when liability is in dispute.

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Slider 96 vs 55 vs 57

Choosing the right pendulum slider for the environment. Slider 96 for shod environments, 55/57 for barefoot — and why the wrong choice invalidates the test.

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What makes a defensible report

The structural elements every UKAS-accredited pendulum report should contain — and the warning signs that distinguish a robust report from one that will fold under cross-examination.

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CPR Part 35 for slip experts

The Civil Procedure Rules requirements that govern expert reports in UK civil litigation, applied specifically to pendulum slip evidence.

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All technical guides →

When you need testing

Common reasons clients commission pendulum testing

The same pendulum test produces evidence used in very different contexts. Each scenario comes with its own evidential requirements, deadlines and downstream uses.

Post-incident testing

An accident has occurred. The floor needs to be tested before conditions change, repairs are made or weather alters the surface. Time-critical.

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BS 8204 handover

A new floor is being signed off and the specification references slip resistance. Independent testing closes out the contract.

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Expert witness instructions

Litigation underway. CPR Part 35-compliant reports, joint expert work, written and oral evidence at hearing.

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Insurance audit programmes

Periodic testing built into insurer-mandated risk management. Schedule, methodology and data retention designed to satisfy underwriters.

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Pre-purchase due diligence

Acquiring commercial property. Pendulum data forms part of the technical due diligence pack and informs price negotiation.

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Anti-slip treatment verification

A treatment has been applied. Independent before-and-after testing demonstrates the actual PTV uplift achieved.

Read more →

All scenarios →

Why UKAS accreditation matters

The difference between accredited and non-accredited reports

UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 in plain English

UKAS — the United Kingdom Accreditation Service — is the only national accreditation body recognised by the British Government. ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for testing laboratories.

A laboratory holding ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation has been independently audited on technical competence, equipment calibration, traceability of measurement, staff training, and the validity of results. Surveillance audits continue annually.

Many UK pendulum testing providers are not UKAS accredited. The distinction is invisible until a report is challenged.

Where the difference shows

  • Insurance loss adjusters weight accredited reports more heavily when assessing liability
  • Building control bodies frequently require accredited testing to close out BS 8204 references
  • Local authorities and NHS Trusts often specify accredited testing in tender documents
  • In civil litigation, opposing experts will challenge any non-accredited methodology under CPR Part 35
  • Repeat testing under accredited methodology is comparable across visits; non-accredited testing is not

Full UKAS explainer →

UK coverage

Pendulum testing across the UK

We attend sites across England, Wales and Scotland from our regional engineering coverage. Click any region for local information, or contact us directly for sites elsewhere.

All UK locations →

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