07/04/11
Pendulum
Test Should Be Carried Out By Your Firm!
Every organisation has a duty of care to their staff and customers and
health and safety regulations need to be followed by all companies.
It is fair to say that the number of regulations impacting on firms
in recent years has increased, but many of these have been introduced
with the business in mind. Ensuring that staff members are safe in their
jobs should reduce the number of hours or days lost due to injury and
minimising the likelihood of being sued for damages is important to
a firm. There are many tests which a company should have carried out
on their premises to show they are safety compliant and one of the most
important one is the pendulum test.
The pendulum test is a specific
style of slip test assessment and has long been recognised as one of
the most effective measures of how a surface reacts under different
conditions. With the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, it
can be difficult for a firm to continually keep floor areas clean and
free from wet patches. This should be an on-going process for a company
but knowing the level of grip that is afforded by the surface is information
that the firm should be aware of.
Although most people will think that the pendulum
test and slip assessments are mainly carried out after an accident
has occurred, they are crucial in preventing accidents from happening.
Every firm has a duty to ensure their work and floor surfaces are fit
for purpose and like many things in life, prevention is by far the best
cure. A company that proactively obtains a slip assessment of their
premises and uncovers any potentially dangerous areas may save themselves
thousands of pounds in damage payouts or lost working hours.
The beauty of the pendulum test
is that it recreates the sort of wet conditions that can occur on a
regular basis in the workplace but without putting anyone at risk or
danger. This should highlight any area of the floor which may be more
susceptible to causing slips than other areas, which should enable the
company to take action in improving the condition of this area or providing
sufficient warning to people of the risk of slipping.
Although
there are numerous tests which can be carried out on work surfaces,
only the pendulum test is expressly
recommended by the HSE, which brings an added level of confidence for
users. If the worst case scenario does occur and a claim is brought
against a firm for an accident on their premises, the findings of the
slip assessment will form a major part of the findings.
If a firm is seen to be proactive in obtaining their own tests on a
regular basis and can prove they worked to these findings, it may help
minimise any level of responsibility the firm had. Accidents can occur
at any time and just because a person slips on a surface, it is not
always the fault or responsibility of an organisation. However, an organisation
must show that they took all relevant pre-cautionary steps to prevent
accidents from occurring on their property.
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Further
information
Pendulum
testing - Surface roughness
- Slips Potential Model - Slip
testing methods - HSE
slips site - Grip Potential Ltd
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