Care Home Slip Testing

Why care homes need higher PTV than public buildings

The HSE PTV bands (0–24 high, 25–35 moderate, 36+ low) are derived for general adult populations. For care home residents, the same PTV implies a higher actual fall risk because of reduced reactive balance, slower recovery from a slip, and the consequences of any fall.

Best practice for care home flooring is therefore PTV 40+ wet, with periodic verification, rather than the 36+ minimum that is acceptable for general public premises. Many care home contracts and CQC-prepared risk assessments explicitly reference this elevated threshold.

Mobility-aid traffic patterns

Wheeled mobility aids (zimmer frames, walking sticks, wheelchairs, commodes) interact with floor surfaces differently to ambulatory feet. Rubber wheelchair tyres on wet vinyl produce different friction outcomes to a shoe. Periodic testing should explicitly reflect the mobility-aid usage of the resident population.

Particular attention is needed at:

• Bedroom doorways — the most frequent transit point for any resident
• Bathroom and ensuite thresholds — carpet-to-vinyl transitions
• Lounge and dining area circulation — food and drink spillage
• Lift lobbies — consolidated traffic from multiple floors
• External garden access doors — wet-weather transition

CQC and falls prevention

The Care Quality Commission's regulatory framework includes premises safety as part of the 'Safe' key question. Falls prevention is a specifically inspected element. Pendulum data provides documentary evidence that the floor element of falls prevention has been independently verified — complementing the falls risk assessment, the staffing levels, the lighting review and the medication review that complete the picture.

Vinyl welded sheet — the dominant surface

Care home flooring is dominated by vinyl welded sheet for the same infection-control reasons as hospitals. The same caveats apply: the engineered slip resistance degrades over time, polishing-style cleaning regimes can mask textured surfaces, and chemical disinfection can affect the surface. Periodic pendulum testing is the verification mechanism.

After a resident fall

Following a serious fall — particularly one resulting in fracture or hospital admission — rapid pendulum testing of the immediate surface preserves the evidential picture before any remediation is attempted. Post-incident testing in care home contexts is normally arranged urgently.