Slip testing to AS 4663 and AS 4586.
On-site pendulum testing of the floors you already have. You get a P rating for each location, a report you can file, and if a surface fails Premrest can fix it and we retest.
A slip claim turns on the number, not the look of the floor.
Without a pendulum test taken to the Australian Standard, you are arguing about whether a floor “looked slippery”. With one, you have a P rating, a date, and a record of the locations that were tested.
A lot of the floors we test are not inherently unsafe. They are granite, terrazzo, tile and vinyl with years of oily residue and detergent sitting on top. Sometimes the answer is a coating. Just as often it is cleaning done properly, then a retest.
Pendulum on site, results against the handbook.
We test existing pedestrian surfaces to AS 4663:2013 (wet pendulum, and dry floor friction where the area stays dry in service). New materials, before they go in, are classified to AS 4586:2013. Results are read against HB 198:2014 so you know what P rating that location is supposed to achieve, not just what it scored.
Wet pendulum results are P0 to P5. Dry friction is D0 or D1. We test the places that actually get walked: entries, lift lobbies, ramps, wet areas, stair landings. Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Because Premrest also cleans and restores floors, we can tell a surface that is slippery from a surface that has been made slippery. On one Collins Street lobby the granite had been under non-slip coatings for years. Deep cleaning, honing and sealing restored the natural grip. The floor was retested to P4.
How a test runs
- Agree the locations, floor types and access, including after hours if the building needs it.
- Test on site to AS 4663. Wet pendulum at each location; dry friction where it applies.
- Map values to a P (or D) classification, with photographs and site notes.
- Issue the report: locations, numbers, what each result means, what to do about a fail.
- If a surface fails, Premrest scopes the rectification, does the work, and we retest.
A program, not a one-off.
One test is a snapshot. Floors wear, polish builds up, and cleaning contractors change. We test per location on a program: annually, six-monthly, or quarterly. We recommend at least once a year at each location. Entries, wet areas and ramps are usually the ones that move to six-monthly or quarterly.
Standards
- AS 4663:2013 — slip resistance of existing pedestrian surfaces
- AS 4586:2013 — classification of new pedestrian surface materials
- HB 198:2014 — guide to specifying and testing slip resistance
Common questions
What is pendulum slip testing?
A calibrated pendulum swings a rubber slider across the floor. The energy lost is a Pendulum Test Value, which maps to a P classification (P0–P5) under AS 4586 and AS 4663.
AS 4586 or AS 4663: which do I need?
AS 4586 for new materials before they go in. AS 4663 for floors already in service. Most facility managers need AS 4663.
How often should we test?
We run programs annually per location, six-monthly, or quarterly. At least once a year per location is the recommendation. Test also after an incident, a rectification, or a change of finish or cleaner.
What if a floor fails?
We start with whether residue is masking grip. Clean first when that is the problem. Coat when the surface itself needs more grip. Then retest.
What does the report include?
Locations, wet and dry values where taken, P classification, photographs, and a plain-English reading of each result.
Related services
Slip rectification
Restoring grip through a proper clean, honing, sealing or a coating, then a retest.
Learn more → Floor Maintenance · StoneStone restoration
Honing, polishing and sealing on granite, marble and terrazzo.
Learn more → Floor Maintenance · ProgramsPeriodical programs
Slip testing on a schedule across a portfolio, not as a one-off.
Learn more →