Independent, UKAS-accredited pendulum testing at Birmingham New Street (BHM) — covering platforms, copers, footbridges, ticket halls and subways. HSE-referenced PTV data that stands up at RAIB enquiry, in front of insurers and in court.
Birmingham New Street is the largest UK regional interchange with c. 47 million annual passengers — the post-2015 Grand Central rebuild covering 13 platforms below the retail concourse.
Network Rail Property and TOC station managers use PTV reports as the documentary basis for slip-claims defence, post-incident review, and continuous-evidence safety records. At Birmingham New Street, that record turns on a single question every time a passenger slips: what was the PTV?
The pendulum method — defined in BS 7976 and BS EN 16165, and referenced throughout HSE guidance — is the only test HSE considers reliable on wet or contaminated platforms. A rubber slider swings from a fixed height and drags across the test surface; energy lost to friction is recorded as a Pendulum Test Value (PTV) on a scale of 0 to 150.
HSE classifies any PTV below 25 as a high slip potential. 25–35 is moderate. A PTV of 36 or above, measured wet and dry with the correct reference slider, is the benchmark for any passenger-accessible station surface. Every report we produce at Birmingham New Street is issued under our UKAS ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation — the method, the technician and the equipment all independently audited.
"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
Whether you operate Birmingham New Street as a TOC or are commissioning slip testing on behalf of Network Rail Property, we'll return a fully-costed, no-obligation slip testing quotation within one working day. Every quote covers UKAS-accredited pendulum slip test scope and slip testing report turnaround.
01:00–04:30 pendulum slip test visits scheduled around possessions.
Single-contract pendulum slip test programmes for operators of 5+ stations.