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What Is the First Step to Fixing a Slip Problem?
The first step to fixing a slip problem is measuring the floor’s actual slip resistance, rather than acting on assumption or waiting for an incident to reveal where the risk sits. This is done using a pendulum test, which produces a specific, comparable Pendulum Test Value (PTV) for a given zone, wet and dry. Without this measurement, any fix is a guess, not a solution.
The short why
Slip risk isn’t always visible. A floor can look clean and feel fine underfoot while still testing poorly for grip, particularly once it’s worn or contaminated in ways that aren’t obvious to the eye. Measuring first means whatever you do next is based on evidence, not appearance.
Why “we’ll deal with it if a claim happens” isn’t a starting point
This is the belief worth challenging directly. Many venues only address a slip problem once an incident forces the issue, treating that single event as the trigger for action. By that point, the underlying risk has usually existed for some time, and the response tends to focus narrowly on the exact spot where the incident occurred, rather than the broader risk that likely still exists elsewhere.
Treating prevention as something you invest in ahead of time, rather than a reaction to a claim, changes where you start. Instead of beginning with the one location where something went wrong, you begin by measuring wherever the actual risk is likely to be, whether or not it’s caused a problem yet.
Measurement comes before any fix, not after
It can be tempting to jump straight to a solution, a new mat, a different cleaning product, an anti-slip treatment, based on instinct about what’s causing the problem. But without measurement, you don’t actually know if that instinct is correct.
A pendulum test tells you the real story: whether a floor is genuinely below a safe slip resistance threshold, and under what conditions, wet or dry. This is the evidence that should determine what happens next, rather than a guess about what’s likely wrong.
Use CHIMES to understand what you’re actually measuring
Once you have a PTV reading, the CHIMES framework helps identify what’s actually driving the result, so any fix addresses the real cause:
- Contamination: is water, grease or food debris the main issue in this zone
- Heel: does footwear in this area affect the risk
- Individual: who’s exposed, and how often
- Maintenance: are current cleaning products or methods reducing grip
- Environment: are lighting, gradients or wet-to-dry transitions contributing
- Surface: is the floor material itself the underlying problem
Measurement tells you there’s a problem. CHIMES helps you understand why, so the fix that follows actually addresses the cause rather than a symptom.
Why does starting with measurement change the outcome?
Skipping straight to a fix based on assumption often means treating the wrong cause, or applying a generic solution across an entire venue when only specific zones actually need attention. Starting with measurement means effort and budget go exactly where the evidence says they’re needed.
Slip Safety Services has found that organisations who start by measuring before fixing anything see a 57%+ average reduction in slip incidents, because the improvements that follow are targeted at genuine causes, not assumptions about where the problem might be.
What to do about it
Identify the two or three zones in your venue most likely to pose a slip risk, typically entrances, kitchens, bars or any area exposed to moisture, and get those specifically tested rather than the whole building at once. Use the results to understand what’s actually driving the risk in each zone before deciding on any fix.
Next step
If you’re not sure where to start, the Slip Prevention Scorecard takes a few minutes and gives you a clear starting point. For an actual measurement of your highest-risk zones, a professional slip test gives you the real data. And for the fuller method behind measuring, improving and proving floor grip, Slipology by Christian Harris covers the process in depth.
Related questions
- How do you build a slip prevention plan?
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- How is slip risk actually measured?