Independent, UKAS-accredited pendulum testing at train stations to the method referenced by the Health and Safety Executive. Defensible Pendulum Test Values for platforms, copers, footbridges, ticket halls, subways and concourses — tested wet, dry and contaminated. Reports in 5 working days.
A rubber test slider swings from a fixed height, dragging across the floor surface. Energy lost to friction is recorded as a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) on a scale of 0 to 150.
It mimics the heel-strike of a person walking — the exact moment nearly all slip accidents occur. We test wet, dry, and with site-relevant contaminants present (autumn leaf residue, winter de-icer, condensation runoff).
"It is strongly recommended that [sled] tests are not used to assess the slipperiness of wet or contaminated floors. Such tests may produce misleading information when used in such conditions."— Health & Safety Executive · Slips Assessment Tool guidance
From a single suburban halt to a national TOC portfolio. Every package ends the same way: a UKAS-accredited report that holds up in front of insurers, contractors, courts and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
Up to 3 test areas at one station. Pendulum PTV wet & dry, photographic record, UKAS-accredited report. Suburban stations, rural halts, single-platform sites.
Up to 12 test areas covering all platforms, footbridges, ticket halls and subways at one station. Contaminant testing, microroughness, remediation advice.
Post-incident testing for PI claims, EL/PL insurance, RAIB submissions and litigation. CPR Part 35 reports and courtroom testimony.
Multi-station programmes for TOCs, Network Rail Property and Iarnród Éireann. Dashboard reporting, portfolio scoring, scheduled annual cycles.
October–December seasonal pendulum slip test programme. Targets the rail-sector-specific risk window when platform PTV drops across the network.
Verify specified PTV before practical completion. Critical for station rebuilds, platform extensions and footbridge replacement schemes.
Tell us the station, surfaces, test areas and deadline. Fixed quote within one working day.
UKAS-audited, PTS-certified technician on site within engineering hours — 01:00–04:30 included as standard.
Pendulum PTV wet & dry, microroughness, photographs, contaminant testing where relevant.
UKAS-accredited PDF delivered within 5 working days. Remediation guidance and zone-by-zone PTV included.
Tell us the station, the surfaces and the deadline. We'll come back with a firm price and available dates — usually within two hours during working hours.
The pendulum is the HSE-referenced method for assessing slipperiness in situ, including on wet and contaminated surfaces. Ramp tests (used in German DIN standards) generate slip resistance data in the lab but rely on unusual contaminants and footwear. Sled tests are only accurate on perfectly clean, dry floors — HSE strongly recommends against using them on wet or contaminated surfaces. For real-world platform assessment, where wet-shoe carry-in and autumn leaf residue dominate, the pendulum is the only method that stands up at RAIB enquiry or in court.
HSE classifies 0–24 as high slip potential, 25–35 as moderate, and 36 or above as low slip potential. A PTV of 36+ in both wet and dry states — measured with the appropriate rubber slider (Slider 96 or TRL) — is the benchmark for any passenger-accessible station surface. Platform Train Interface zones, footbridge nosings and ticket-hall entry mats are the critical PTV 36+ zones in any station programme.
Yes. The pendulum is portable and non-destructive — no chemicals, heat or damage to the surface. Our technicians hold PTS (Personal Track Safety) certification for any station slip testing work that requires platform-edge or track-side access. Engineering-hours visits between 01:00–04:30 are standard at no extra cost for stations that need them.
For staffed stations with overnight closure, daytime pendulum slip testing is also possible — coned-off testing zones, rotating through 4–6 test points at a time, with a typical full-platform pendulum slip test assessment completing in 90 minutes per platform.
Yes. Every report is issued under our UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, meaning the method, the technician and the equipment are all independently audited. Station slip testing reports are routinely accepted by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the Office of Rail and Road, Network Rail Property and TOC insurance frameworks. For litigation we produce CPR Part 35-compliant expert reports and provide courtroom testimony where instructed.
Typical lead time is 5–10 working days, but we regularly attend urgent post-incident work inside 48 hours. For TOC and Network Rail portfolio programmes we schedule rolling coverage so any UK station can be tested within a week — including engineering-hours possessions where required.
Yes — autumn leaf-fall (October–December) is the rail sector's defined peak slip risk window. Decomposing leaf residue plus rain on heritage station stone produces dramatic PTV drops across the network. We run a dedicated autumn slip testing programme on a 6-week rolling basis through the season for TOCs and Network Rail Property clients who need scheduled evidence across the leaf-fall window.
No. We are an independent commercial testing company. Our method follows the guidance published by HSE and British Standards, and our laboratory is UKAS-accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 — but we are not part of, nor endorsed by, the Health and Safety Executive.