防止滑倒，旅行和跌倒

每个雇主都担心阻止滑倒和下降以及员工的一般安全以及访问其工作场所的任何客户或客户。许多人不知道是2012年国际建筑守则（IBC）在滑倒和抗抗抵抗力时，某些地板条件和材料所需的内容发生了重大变化。根据职业安全和健康管理局（OSHA）的安全统计数据，令人震惊的是，大约15％的意外死亡与滑倒和跌倒有关，仅次于汽车事故。

To add to the confusion, paragraph 2103.6 the 2012 IBC makes a fairly innocuous statement, “Ceramic tile shall be as defined in, and shall conform to the requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 137.1.” Even though the language of the code specifically references ceramic tile, many presume it also is the reference for marble, granite, wood, vinyl or other walking surfaces.

“These requirements leave a great deal of room for interpretation and second-guessing on what constitutes acceptable flooring in the full range of possible conditions.”

The ANSI 137.1 documents include flooring materials requirements that can generally be summarized as:

1. Typically, comparison of flooring materials can be measured using a Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF).
2. The evaluation of flooring materials for a slip resistance test should be done using a wetting agent of the floor and a DCOF.
3. 柔性地板的湿式DCOF应在楼层上的至少0.42。
4. Keep in mind, using the 0.42 value (this is the ratio of horizontal sliding force divided by vertical gravity load with a maximum value of 1.0) does not mean that the value is acceptable everywhere or under every condition.
5. 那些指定地板材料的人应负责确定材料在下面评估的适当条件。这可以包括湿条件，表面磨损，外部污染物，斜坡/斜坡和维护。

As you can see, these requirements leave a great deal of room for interpretation and second-guessing on what constitutes acceptable flooring in the full range of possible conditions.

Which Dynamic Coefficient Of Friction Value Do I Use?

There has long been the misconception that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) had a DCOF value. But that assumption has been shown to be incorrect, and any reference to the accessibility guideline values in the ADA (where suggestions were made) has removed any reference to the DCOF value. OSHA also has a value they recommend for on the job safety conditions. Some venues also have DCOF values in their codes. One example of this wide variation on regulation is the Wisconsin Building Code where they state the areas around swimming pools are required to be slip resistant, which is then defined as a wet DCOF of 0.50.

“应考虑横跨地板表面的餐馆中的水，雪，油脂和油。我们甚至应该采取将使用该设施的人们考虑的人，因为有些人比其他人更容易滑倒和堕落。“

那么这一切无限期的监管局在哪里留下了建造业主，雇主，设计专业人员或任何其他方在走路面上选择了饰面？嗯，至少我们的基础湿式DCOF为0.42。从那里，可以使用最小要求来测试各种楼层材料的比较，以及它们如何符合标准的最低要求。如果对地板的适用性存在令人担忧，则潜在的条件可以通过散步垫的存在和尺寸和大大提高防滑性的局部涂层来管理。应考虑在地板表面上跟踪餐馆中的水，雪，油脂和油。我们甚至应该考虑将使用该设施的人的类型，因为一些人比其他人更容易滑倒和堕落。

其他影响一个人滑倒或摔倒的潜力的东西包括鞋类;人们关注甚至个人的步态如何。研究表明，由于步态，有些人更容易受到堕落的问题。统计数据显示one in three65岁以上的人将会陷入困境。这些人中的一半是重复的。

Slip Resistance Test for Existing Flooring Materials

So how does one even know what the preexisting floor conditions are in a building or how does one make a comparison of the various flooring materials? There are a number of different pieces of test equipment in the industry designed to measure the DCOF and many of them have been shown to be inconsistent on their accuracy and repeatability.

“The standard that has been suggested to be the most reliable slip resistance test in the ANSI A137.1 document is the BOT-3000 device… showing it is the least susceptible for influence by the operator and provides reproducible and repeatable results.”

已建议成为ANSI A137.1文档中最可靠的滑动阻力测试的标准是BOT-3000设备。这是一个关于鞋盒大小的框。它包含电机，电池和传感器，底部的“脚”，放置在水池中。按下按钮时，设备会自动测量地板的滑动阻力。该过程具有许多值，并平均来通过沿着地板磨损其“脚”来确定地板的值。已经选择了BOT-3000通过研究和测试选择了这种测量，表明它是操作员影响最少的影响，并提供可重复和可重复的结果。

Be sure to check out our short video that demonstrates the BOT-3000 in action and also shows some of the older, less reliable slip resistance test methods we have measured for DCOF in the past.

BOT-3000演示

What DCOF Measurement is the Absolute Requirement?

When a designer is looking to select flooring, for all the various conditions described above, it may be very difficult to gather information on the DCOF from a supplier. There is also the idea by some that since the 2012 IBC only addressed ceramic tile that other flooring materials may not be subject to the same performance criteria. However, based on my experience as an expert witness for many slip and fall cases and my observations of the industry, in cases of slip and fall injuries, the injured party’s counsel and experts will try to use these measurements as absolute requirements.

“Since the Bot-3000 is a very portable device, it may be a good idea to have various floor areas in buildings tested to validate the current conditions to see if there are means to mitigate potentials for slip and falls.”

Since the BOT-3000 is a very portable device, it may be a good idea to have various floor areas in buildings tested to validate the current conditions to see if there are means to mitigate potentials for slip and falls. Having a qualified professional test your flooring conditions and materials for slip resistance could save you a lot of headaches down the line and possibly avoid a future slip in your building. For information on how we can help you, please reach out to Steve Flaten.