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Sustainable Slip Resistance is a particular floor friction testing method and selection criteria for use in choosing and sourcing slip-resistant flooring that maintains good tribological characteristics over its life cycle to minimize slip and fall accidents. Testing floors before and after they are in place on a property can assure a building owner that safe flooring has been chosen and installed for its intended use. This floor slip resistance testing method, developed by the McDonald's Restaurant chain and now specified by many other property owners (e.g. Westfield, Aldi, Toyota) assesses the effects of mild abrasion on wet slip resistance. This test identifies flooring that has a high propensity to lose its wet slip resistance. == The Need for Sustainable Slip Resistance == The widely accepted principle of safety by design, as well as U.S. laws and building codes, require that flooring be slip-resistant over its life cycle — not just at the time of installation. Safety criteria based solely on static coefficient of friction, often used in the U.S. for assessing safety, are too often misleading where flooring gets wet or otherwise lubricated in use. Over 150 safety criteria have been adopted in Germany and Australia for specific situations — swimming pool decks, commercial kitchens, restrooms, etc. These are based on a laboratory test device, the variable-angle ramp, that is not readily portable. The pendulum tester is a portable ASTM method, has been used successfully since at least 1971 for assessing pedestrian traction potential, and is a national standard for pedestrian traction in 48 nations on four continents. Abrasion of a flooring sample, tested with the pendulum before and after, is being used to assess “Sustainable Slip Resistance.” Some architects and property owners are now combining this pendulum-based test with situation-specific safety criteria to specify and verify safe flooring. If flooring is in an area where it can get wet or otherwise lubricated (airborne deep-fryer fat, automobile grease, etc.), it needs to be slip-resistant under such conditions. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that flooring accessible to disabled persons be slip resistant — not just when the building is constructed, but throughout its lifetime. Typical building codes in the USA require that "Every existing building, structure, premises or portion thereof shall be maintained in conformity with the code regulations and Department approvals in effect at the time of such construction and occupancy ... Every existing building, structure, or portion thereof shall be maintained in a safe condition and good repair … all physical elements of every existing building, structure or portion thereof shall be maintained … by restorative means, in a condition as close as reasonably feasible to their originally required and approved state." 〔City of Los Angeles Building Code, 2008, Chapter 81, Section 8104, based on 2007 California Building Code and 2006 International Building Code〕 If a building owner can be confident that his or her new flooring will sustain its slip resistance for a period of years this can protect a considerable investment in the flooring and prevent business interruptions as well as protect the safety of the pedestrian. The stakes are even higher for hotels and cruise ships, which are occupied virtually nonstop with guests who will not tolerate the noise involved in changing out hard flooring. Sustainable Slip Resistance (SSR) testing was developed by Strautins 〔Strautins, C.J., “Sustainable Slip Resistance: An Opportunity for Innovation,” Qualicer 2008, Castellon, Spain〕〔Strautins, C.J., “Enhanced Test Method for Assessing Sustainable Slip Resistance,” International Conference on Slips, Trips and Falls 2007: from Research to Practice〕 in Australia for McDonald's Restaurants to identify flooring that is not highly susceptible to loss of its slip resistance from wear or some types of inappropriate maintenance. This test and appropriate selection criteria can help avoid investment in inappropriate flooring as well as prevent costly, life-altering accidents and increased healthcare costs. This article explains the method and how it can be used to improve flooring safety in the USA. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Sustainable Slip Resistance」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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